A FALL down the stairs at the age of three that resulted in a skull fracture led to a terrible legacy for Jill Knight. The little girl developed epilepsy that manifested itself in absences or petit mal attacks and night time fits in adulthood.

"These absences meant I didn't lose consciousness, I would just drift off.

"As I got older - say, seven or eight years old - I became more aware of them.

"During my childhood, I can remember being bitterly disappointed that I wasn't allowed to ride my bicycle in the road because I could have an absence and drift into the path of oncoming traffic.

"But I was very lucky that my parents followed the advice they were given and allowed me to have as active and normal a lifestyle as anybody else," said Jill, 58, from Southampton.

Her condition didn't stand in the way of Jill's career and she went on to become a head teacher at Moorlands Infant School in Bitterne.

As an adult, Jill's condition changed and she started to have tonic-clonic episodes while she slept.

"It always happens when I'm asleep and fortunately I have a wonderful husband who is always there to make sure I am all right.

"I don't know much about it. An episode is normally preceded by a very vivid dream like being buried alive.

"I remember the dream afterwards but I don't remember anything about the seizure - I just feel slightly more dopey than usual and a bit dazed," she said.

Jill takes medication to control her condition and she has not had a nocturnal seizure for the past seven years.

"The marvels of medicine mean I can keep this under control and I am lucky that I don't suffer any nasty side effects," she said.

"Although I haven't had a seizure for a long time, it's still in the back of my mind that it can still happen.

"However, compared to a lot of people I am incredibly lucky."

The National Society for Epilepsy is currently doing a great deal of work to discover an underlying gene that makes people susceptible to developing the illness And Jill, who has now retired, has trained to speak at schools and local groups about the condition and is working to remove some of the fear surrounding epilepsy.

The information she gives is suitable for year 8 citizenship and PSHE classes, but can be adapted for other age groups, too.

"There is a fear surrounding epilepsy - if a person is having a tonic-clonic episode where they are vigorously shaking it can be very frightening to see.

"There is a certain amount of stigma surrounding epilepsy and in the middle ages people thought you were a witch or possessed by the devil.

"Apparently, now only one per cent believe you are possessed by the devil," she said.

By speaking to youngsters at schools and clubs, Jill hopes to raise awareness of epilepsy and also let people know what to do if they come across someone having a seizure.

"The main thing you can do if someone is having a seizure is to ensure they are not going to hurt themselves.

"Place a rolled up coat or jumper under their head and try to keep others away.

"It can be embarrassing when you come round from a seizure so you don't want people standing there looking at you, you just want to be in a quiet place and to be comforted and reassured," she said.

If you would like to know more about the talks that Jill is giving, contact Trevor Hutton on 01273 441401.