Chichester mum celebrates as more than £10,000 raised for new EEG machine at Sussex hospital

A Chichester mum is celebrating her success after raising more than £10,000 for a new EEG machine at a Sussex Hospital, Sussex World can report.

Michaela Glynn, 32, first embarked on her fundraising quest after her two-year-old daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy last year.

Forced to travel to Brighton to get her daughter the urgent care she needs, the Chichester mum set out to raise money for an EEG machine – used to diagnose and monitor conditions like epilepsy – much closer to home.

A few weeks and a fundraiser later, she’s done it, with money to spare. Thanks to a hugely successful raffle supported by local businesses, a large anonymous donation, and a £4,000 cash injection from The Woodger Trust, as well as generous donations from countless well-wishers and the hard work of students at Medmerry Primary School, who organised ‘purple day’ to raise money for the cause, procurement procedures for the EEG Machine have started, and it should be in situ by Summer.

It’s still not clear whether the machine will be in place in St Richard’s Hospital, in Chichester, or Worthing Hospital on Lyndhurst Road but, whatever happens, Michaela is justifiably proud of everything she and her family have achieved.

"I’m absolutely buzzing,” she said. “I cannot believe that my little two year old girl is making such a big difference to so many people. By the time she’s old enough to understand what she’s done, she will have helped thousands of people. And that is amazing. I’ll be able to show her ‘you weren’t just another number, and you didn’t suffer for nothing. You changed the world,’ and I’m so proud of her for that.”

Michaela isn’t exaggerating. Currently, the only Sussex hospital with an EEG machine is Brighton’s Royall Sussex County Hospital. A second machine – whether it’s in Chichester or Worthing – will make it that much easier for West Sussex residents to get the care they need, sooner, all the while taking some of the pressure off of Brighton.

"Epilepsy is so common, but so rarely spoken about,” Michaela said. “And I think we’ve come along and started the conversation; we’ve made a difference, we’ve changed things.”