Libby Boyce once wrote an emotional letter for Mother’s Day to bring attention to the sudden unexpected death of epilepsy (SUDEP), which is what killed her son, Disney star Cameron Boyce.
Cameron Boyce, who was on the Disney Channel show “Jessie” from 2011 to 2015, died of SUDEP in his sleep at age 20 in July 2019.
Even though he was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 17, Libby Boyce said she had never heard of SUDEP before her son died. But feeling connected to other mothers who have lost a child to SUDEP has given her life meaning.
Libby Boyce wrote in a letter, published by ABC’s Good Morning America –
“These past 10 months have been life-changing for me in a way that is beyond words. You can’t compare it to anything because it is a trauma that is dissimilar to anything in the world. It has created a gaping hole that is raw and gut-wrenching.”
“Mother’s Day is a cherished day for mothers across the nation. For others, it can be a day of reflection for those who have a challenging relationship with their children; or a day of regret for those who never had children or it can be a day of sheer grief for those who have lost a child.”
The letter, she wrote, was also her way of paying “tribute to all of the SUDEP mom warriors who live with this horrific burden.”
About 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy die suddenly every year. Doctors call these deaths SUDEP, which is short for Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.
Many more famous people’s causes of death have also been covered by us, and you can read about them here:
- The Cause Of Dax Tejera’s Sudden Death At Age 37 Has Been Found Out.
- Who was Lanny Poffo? What Cause Of His Death?
Most of these deaths happen during or after seizures, which can stop a person from breathing and cause dangerously irregular heart rhythms.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that about 3.4 million Americans have epilepsy, and people who can’t control their seizures are more likely to die suddenly.
Libby Boyce said she won’t accept that her son died for nothing. She wrote –
“Epilepsy can be a lethal medical condition, yet very few people think of epilepsy as potentially life-threatening.”
“It is something that has for far too long been swept under the carpet and I hope that sharing Cameron’s story and the stories of other SUDEP mom warriors will be the catalyst for change.”
Last year, Boyce’s family also started The Cameron Boyce foundation to raise money in his name.
