Epilepsy
Cannabis oil for epilepsy should be available on prescription says Cornwall Mum
Having seizures since he was five months old, the mother of a 15-year-old boy is calling for high-strength cannabis oil for epilepsy to be available on NHS prescriptions.
Mitchell Gisbourne, from Camelford, has suffered life-threatening epileptic seizures since he was born.
His mother Caroline Gisbourne has tried for years to find a treatment.
The seizures started when, as a baby, Mitchell was infected with the herpes virus.
He has tried eight different epilepsy drugs and undergone two brain operations as a last resort without any improvement in his condition.
Caroline, 49, gave him CBD oil in 2018, which is available from health stores and contains a tiny amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
She said: “For two years Mitchell was a different child, going to school and living his best life.”
However, Caroline couldn’t get cannabis oil containing a higher level of THC on prescription when the CBD oil stopped working.
The NHS approved imported cannabis oils four years ago, but so far only three children have been given them.
Caroline fears she will be prosecuted for being given cannabis oil for epilepsy
A friend who grew the plants for pain relief offered Caroline free homemade cannabis oil for epilepsy.
She said: “Mitchell was by now having ten seizures a day and banging his head. He was getting very depressed.”
She says his seizures again dropped to only two or three a month, a remarkable improvement.
Caroline was reported to the police after Mitchell’s social workers, who provide support for his autism, learned about the oil.
Despite being told to “wean” Mitchell off the cannabis oil, his seizures returned as soon as she did so.
There have been two detectives at Caroline’s family home and she fears she will be prosecuted.
An independent pediatrician has now agreed to sell her a legal cannabis oil containing a higher level of THC for £200 a month.
A crowdfund has been started to raise some for the following month.
Peter Carroll, director of the End Our Pain campaign, said: “Between them, the government, the NHS and some of the medical professional bodies are failing these children.”
