A Scots man living with epilepsy for almost four decades has died after suddenly collapsing at home. Lifelong Hibs fan Bruce Nicholls had an epileptic seizure on April 15 and tragically passed away at the age of 56.
The Edinburgh man, from Liberton, had been diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 17. Edinburgh Live reports that Bruce collapsed in the bathroom of the family home, where he had been living after losing his dad to cancer last year and his mum a few years before.
Despite the best efforts of medics and neighbours who rushed to give him CPR, he could not be saved. His devastated sister Audrey, who was on holiday at the time of Bruce's shock death, paid tribute to her brother as she spoke about his condition.
Audrey, 50, said: "We were complete opposites, he was a quiet lad but no one ever had a bad word to say about him. He was well-loved, well-liked. I was speaking to him on the Friday... but on Saturday I got the call from the police. He was only 56 but the seizures - he can't predict them.
"I asked him to wear a bracelet to show that he has epilepsy. It's a big issue, a serious condition and people can die. I don't think there's enough awareness of it and lots of people don't know what to do if someone has a seizure in the street."
Audrey, who received the call when she was on holiday in Croatia, said Bruce's medication had been changed over the years – not always to his benefit. She continued: "His medication kept changing and at one point he was taking one called Epilim and he didn't have a seizure in three years. He considered himself 'cured'.
"But then they changed his tablets, and it affected his mood and his sleep, he was feeling really low at the time. He was then having a seizure every month or few weeks. I think it could have been stress. He was taking care of mum and dad when they were ill and made sure they were okay, and he looked after them great."
The mum-of-three said Bruce had been a great uncle to her children. Growing up, she said he never appeared to have any seizures as a child but suffered an epileptic episode on holiday in the west of Scotland as a teenager.
She added: "We thought it was a one-off, like a glitch in the brain. But he started having them more regularly and eventually he was diagnosed. Before Bruce was a plumber, he was a painter and decorator so he was always climbing up ladders. It turned into a dangerous job because of his epilepsy.
"He was always the more subdued one unless you got a couple of beers in him. He had quite a dry sense of humour and was sarcastic but he always had my back. Even growing up, he had my back but maybe gave me a dead arm too. But he was a proper gentleman. He was a huge Hibs fan. Football was his thing and was a season ticket holder.
"His funeral was all green and white and we all wore Hibs tops. It was a busy funeral because everyone he had met through football came. I'm getting him a plaque at Easter Road."
Audrey has established a fundraiser for Epilepsy Scotland on crowdfunding platform GoFundMe. She hopes pals and fellow Hibees will support the charity, which both raises awareness of the condition and supports those living with it.
She said: "Those who knew Bruce would be aware that he suffered from this awful illness which had become progressively worst in the past five years – to the point that he found it quite debilitating, he suffered depression, social anxiety, and insomnia because of the fear of seizing also the medication came with some awful side effects.
"I have chosen this charity as it doesn't receive nearly enough funding and to raise awareness. Please donate what you can, I know things are tough for everybody but if you can spare a couple of quid that would be appreciated immensely."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here.
