A DARWEN mum said she was left devastated when she was verbally attacked while her daughter was having an epileptic fit.

Carla Dixon-Maher was publicly berated as 18-year-old Jessica was having a seizure.

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During her fits, Jessica lashes out and could potentially ‘get herself killed’ if she isn’t restrained, her mum said.

Mrs Maher was returning to her London Terrace home with her daughter after the pair had been shopping at Asda when the incident happened.

Mrs Maher said: “It’s quite a common occurrence but when Jessica has a fit she lashes out and she doesn’t have any control over herself.

“She could run out into the road and get killed, or she could do serious harm to herself.”

When she was 13 Jessica was treated for a brain tumour which lead to scarring on the brain, causing epilepsy.

Now she needs medication and extra support when at Blackburn College, where she studies sport and leisure.

Mrs Maher said: “We are used to dealing with Jessica’s fits but when she has a bad one, it looks terrible to the person on the outside.

“When she had the fit we were walking home and a woman got out of her car, she shouted to me ‘Stop it, what are you doing to her?’.

“I told her to help me but she thought I was harming her.

“She got back in her car and drove away.

“During this time two young lads shouted over and swore.

“They didn’t help, they just abused me and walked away.

“It makes me devastated that people think I am beating her up.”

Absent focal seizures are short periods of blanking out where the person is unaware what is going on around them.

In Jessica’s case she also suffers from anxiety during the fits which cause her to lash out.

Jessica said that she is grateful to have her boyfriend Paul Taylor and her mum to keep her eye on her.

She said: “I understand that it’s really stressful but it would be great if people could recognise the symptoms of epilepsy.

“I have to have care day and night and I am really lucky to have my mum and my boyfriend.

“Blackburn College have also been fantastic.”