Chichester boy related to Brighton star raises over £5000 for charity

Dexter Hinshelwood had a huge success with his recent charity football match last month. On Sunday, December 3 at Great Ballard School, Eartham, a match took place featuring Brighton and Hove Albion legend Guy Butters and player-manager for Worthing United Gary Elphick among many others who turned out in support of the cause.

Dexter is a Manchester United fan and his favourite player at the moment is centre-back Lisandro Martinez.

Dexter shared his experience living with epilepsy: “For most of my life I’ve experienced seizures. They made me feel different, which I didn’t like. My consultant thinks I have grown out of my seizures, but some children never do. I wanted to use my passion for football to raise money to help them."

Paul Hinshelwood, Dexter’s dad said: “In most cases, the seizures only last a few minutes, unfortunately, Dexter's were quite severe. Dexter came up with the possibility of putting on a game for charity after we spoke to him one night about the fact that some children don’t ever grow out of their seizures.”

The money raised will go towards Young Epilepsy, a national charity providing health and support services for children and young people with epilepsy and related conditions.   There are over 100,000 children and young people in the UK living with epilepsy.

The condition is one of the most common long-term conditions that affects children. Epilepsy is a neurological condition that disrupts the normal electrical activity the brain uses to communicate with the rest of the body. This disruption causes seizures.    

There are over 40 different types of seizure and every young person’s epilepsy is unique to them. In most cases, epilepsy is well managed, and seizures are controlled, but it is a very serious condition that can be life-threatening.    

Young Epilepsy supports children and young people across the UK through outreach services, campaigning, policy, information and cutting-edge research into childhood epilepsies. Young Epilepsy provides a host of information and advice for young people, families, clinicians and more on their website www.youngepilepsy.org.uk