29-07-2025
Little girl left suffering 300 seizures a day given "life back" with medical cannabis
Olivia McCafferty has fought Doose syndrome - a severe form of childhood epilepsy - since she was just 15 months old.
A Scots schoolgirl suffered more than 300 seizures a day at the height of a 10-year ongoing battle with a rare form of epilepsy.
Olivia McCafferty has fought Doose syndrome - a severe form of childhood epilepsy - since she was just 15 months old.
The Glasgow youngster was placed on a number of different treatment plans on the NHS, but mum Julie Cabrey struggled to find a long-term solution that suited Olivia, with many treatments causing harsh side effects and, at times, making her condition worse, Glasgow Live reports.
In February 2021, Olivia, now 11, underwent a brain operation in the hope of curing her condition. However, it only made things worse and left her effectively wheelchair-bound due to the severity of her seizures.
Julie, from the Gorbals, said: "Everything that could go wrong went wrong, and it (her epilepsy) escalated.
"We tried different traditional treatments that didn't work. Our hands were tied to try surgery. We went for it, and unfortunately, it made it 10 times worse.
"She went up to around 300 seizures a day. All the different medications on the NHS weren't working. They either didn't help at all or made the seizures worse.
"Olivia wasn't compos mentis. She just sat and had seizures. That was pretty much what her life was like."
With Olivia's seizures at their worst, Julie decided to research the benefits of medicinal cannabis in a bid to help her daughter. That's when she discovered the benefits it had for other children with the condition.
She reached out to the Curaleaf Clinic in Stirling where, since January 2022, Olivia has been receiving private prescriptions of cannabis oil.
The support for learning worker says the treatment has helped Olivia "get her life back" as they look for the perfect balance between the NHS medications which, despite having harsh side effects, can be "extremely effective" alongside the medicinal cannabis.
Julie, 48, added: "The difference has been remarkable. Last week she went to Blair Drummond Safari Park and I didn't take her, she went with other family members.
"I said she should take her wheelchair just in case, but she told me she didn't need it. She had a fabulous day, with no seizures, and was running around like any other child.
"She came home high as a kite, and she's having a lot more of these days. In May, she went on a trip with the school and she was climbing and canoeing.
"It makes you go 'wow' what an absolute difference. When she was having all these seizures and medications it made her angry.
"Now that we've reduced them, she's so much happier. For me and the family, it's remarkable. We're not seizure-free, but what we see with Olivia is phenomenal.
"She's totally getting her life back."
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However, as Olivia's treatment isn't available on the NHS, her family is forced to fork out around £1,000 a month if they want to keep up with the vital treatment.
Julie has therefore launched a GoFundMe to help raise funds so she is able to afford Olivia's treatment, which has significantly improved her life and reduced her seizures to around 15-30 a day.
She said: "We're not at full dose yet, so there is hope that once we get to a higher dose we might see no seizures.
"Continuing the treatment is a no-brainer. The difference in three years has been phenomenal, and it's so lovely to see the difference, and we can all relax knowing the seizures aren't as bad.
"Olivia has been absolutely phenomenal, and we couldn't be any prouder. What she goes through, and how she presents herself with a smile on her face, everyone just thinks 'wow'.
"She can have a seizure and as soon as she's out of it she tries to have a laugh and joke. Her resilience is just phenomenal. She makes me the proudest mother.
"The response to the GoFundMe has been overwhelming. There are so many people who have read about her and are donating. The number of people who have donated is awesome. We can't thank them enough."
Julie and Olivia are planning a 10km walk through Glasgow in her latest fundraising effort and are taking sponsorships alongside the GoFundMe. You can donate to help out with Olivia's treatment online here.
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