How did Amii Lowndes die? 'Doctor Who' actress, 29, suffered 2 seizures but her condition was undiagnosed
Actor Amii Lowndes, died at the age of 29 on June 15, 2020, after collapsing in her parents’ garden in Bristol, UK. Lowndes appeared in ‘Doctor Who’ in 2014 with Peter Capaldi, as well as episodes of ‘Casualty’ and ‘Skins’. As per reports, she moved back from London to her parents' home in Bristol during the first coronavirus lockdown.
In an obituary published last year on Medium, her brother Ashley wrote, “She was on her own when she died unexpectedly. We don’t know why,” adding, “She didn’t want to die. She was starting to blossom and find herself. She was thinking ahead and enjoying the moment. She had a reason to get up each day. Her last thought must have been torturous and terrifying.”
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How did Amii Lowndes die?
As per new reports, the 29-year-old actor collapsed from SUDEP — sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. The Mirror reported that despite having had two seizures — one just a couple of weeks before her death — doctors had not diagnosed epilepsy. Amii’s family said she had no idea the attacks could kill her. They are now pushing for greater awareness of SUDEP.
Her mother Bea told the tabloid, “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.”
As per the report, after her second seizure in May 2020, a consultant neurologist failed to diagnose epilepsy despite her symptoms. She was also not reportedly started on vital anti-epileptic medication as recommended following a second episode. As per Bea, her death had devastated the family, including her father John and her brother Ashley: “Losing her was never on the cards. She was fun-loving, full of life, and had so many ideas. We feel her loss at every moment.”
The family now plans to work with the charity SUDEP Action to tackle avoidable deaths. Founder Jane Hanna said, “Some deaths are not avoidable but most probably are.”
As per the Epilepsy Foundation, people who continue to have seizures are at greater risk of a number of complications, which is why preventing seizures and other problems are so important. The most serious complications are injuries and deaths from seizures. As per the website, each year, more than one in 1,000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP. This is the leading cause of death in people with uncontrolled seizures.
Reportedly, more than 600,000 people in the UK live with epilepsy. As per the foundation, for most people living with epilepsy today, the disease can be controlled with available therapies and seizure-management practices — avoiding seizure triggers and consulting an epilepsy specialist. For people with the most severe types of difficult-to-control epilepsy, there are steps an individual can take to lower one’s risk, including epilepsy surgery, neurostimulation devices, dietary therapies, and more.