The actress who played Virginia in Doctor Who died aged 29 after suffering two seizures and collapsing in her parents’ backyard due to undiagnosed epilepsy.
Amii Lowndes was killed by sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), a condition which around 600 people die from each year in the UK.
Doctors did not diagnose epilepsy despite Ms Lowndes suffering two seizures, one just weeks before her death. Her family said she did not realize her condition could be deadly.
Amii, who featured in Doctor Who alongside Peter Capaldi in 2014 and also had parts in Casualty and Skins, collapsed in Bristol after returning from her home in London during the first coronavirus lockdown.
She had her first seizure in 2018 and another in May 2020, but a consultant neurologist did not diagnose epilepsy.
Instead, during a phone consultation, she was told her seizures might be linked to an issue with her heart. Because of this she was not started on anti-epileptic medication. Bea, her mother, told The Mirror: ‘Amii first had a seizure in 2018 but we only learned about SUDEP upon her death.
‘Both she and we would have wanted the opportunity to know that seizures, just like heart attacks, can be fatal. ‘Nothing will bring Amii back but if we can save one other family going through our pain, it will be worth it.’ Giving evidence at the inquest, Prof David Chadwick said it was ‘unlikely’ the lack of treatment led to her death on June 15. But campaigners say at least four in ten SUDEP deaths could be avoided if sufferers were offered care and information.
Amii, a fan of Shakespeare, wanted to pursue a career in theatre and spent seven years as a business development administrator for RADA – where she trained. She was described as a ‘ray of sunshine’ by colleagues and a plan is in place to put plaques on theatre seats in her memory. Amii’s family want to work with the charity SUDEP Action.
Senior coroner Maria Voisin recorded a narrative verdict. She said she did not think a failure to diagnose and treat Amii’s epilepsy reached the threshold to conclude her death was contributed to by neglect.
What is sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP)?
SUDEP is the sudden, unexpected death of someone with epilepsy, who was otherwise healthy. In SUDEP cases, no other cause of death is found when an autopsy is done. Each year, more than 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP. This is the leading cause of death in people with uncontrolled seizures. The person with epilepsy is often found dead in bed and doesn’t appear to have had a convulsive seizure.
Over one-third of the time, there is a witnessed seizure or signs of a recent seizure close to the time of death. They are often found lying face down. No one is sure about the cause of death in SUDEP and it may differ between cases. Some researchers think that a seizure causes an irregular heart rhythm. Other research has shown that breathing difficulties following a seizure lead to death.
Until further answers are available, the best way to prevent SUDEP is to lower your risk by controlling seizures. Research has found that people with all types of epilepsy that experience convulsive seizures can be at risk.
