Hollyoaks star suffers heartbreaking seizure in 'huge step back' for her health

Hollyoaks star, Ellie Henry, who played Freya Calder on the soap told fans she'd had a terrifying seizure, which means she can no longer shower or be in the house alone

Former Hollyoaks actress, Ellie Henry, has suffered a heartbreaking seizure in what she says is a 'huge setback' to her health.

Ellie, who played Freya Calder on the Channel 4 soap has epilepsy and has been seizure-free for five years. However, she told her followers she'd been left unable to shower or be in the house alone after a terrifying "step back", which came "out of nowhere".

Taking to Instagram, sharing a snap of herself sitting on the bonnet of a BMW holding a huge '0' balloon, she shared: "I should be celebrating five years seizure-free this week but instead I announce 0 days. Having a seizure out of nowhere after almost five years has been the biggest confidence knock. I’d be lying if I said this didn’t feel like a huge step back but I have to choose to keep moving.

"I can no longer shower, walk my dog, nip to the shop or just be in the house alone as I have to be under constant supervision because my seizures can/have been life-threatening which is a big loss for someone who has worked so hard to become independent." Ellie also revealed she'd had to "say goodbye to my beloved car and driving licence" too, as a result of her seizure.

Concluding her post, she wrote: "As a wheelchair user, my car may as well be my legs and ticket to freedom. The loss hurts a lot. This is life with epilepsy."

Following her health update, Ellie's former co-star David Ames, who played Carter Shepherd in Hollyoaks, sent his well wishes, telling his friend: "I’ve got your back, kiddo. Always."

Ellie, who uses a wheelchair, was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) aged 15. EDS affects the body's ability to produce collagen that supports the connective tissue and can make skin, joints and other tissue weaker and more flexible than they should be.

Earlier this year, the actress opened up about her health as she spoke 'proudly' about her disability. She shared on Instagram: "July is #DisabilityPrideMonth which is always a notion I’ve slightly struggled with because I’ve never really been proud to be disabled before. I grew up sporty, daring and never stopped moving, so when disability forced me to live a life sitting down I couldn’t find a single positive. It’s only now, 8+ years later, that I’ve started to find myself again."

She also revealed that sit-skiing had been a huge boost to her wellbeing, sharing: "Throwing myself down a slope and hoping for the best is my new form of therapy.

"I’ve got really good core friends around me who take the time to figure out how to include me despite the inaccessible world we live in. We now laugh at situations which would’ve previously weighed me down. We celebrate piggybacking through inaccessible spaces, getting carried in and out of bars and laugh at all the times I fall over/out of my chair. Laughter really is the best medicine."

* For help and support regarding epilepsy, please contact Epilepsy Action or call 0808 800 5050.

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