Such cruel stares at my precious baby son
She has had to save her own son's life three times in his first 14 months.
But one of the hardest things to take for young Wolverhampton mother Carla Marshall is people who don't understand his condition stopping to stare in public.
And now she is desperate for more people to know about the condition that has already more than once almost claimed the life of her precious bundle of joy.
Carla Marshall, aged 18, of Low Hill, has become a full-time carer for her son D'Shawn. In two days last week alone he suffered 50 epileptic fits, the longest of which lasted 46 minutes.
Those seizures have meant she has needed to save his life three times with CPR.
On the third occasion a fortnight ago, D'Shawn almost choked on his tube-fed food. Miss Marshall said: "I was scared at the time but I told myself I need to do this for my son and I just did."
Despite the anxiety of D'Shawn's being regularly in and out of hospital, she says one of the most difficult things to see is lack of understanding for his disorder.
Miss Marshall, of Chesterton Road, says people stare at D'Shawn if he begins to fit in public. She said: "People need to know about it. I know people don't understand, and stare, but they could be needed to help, they wouldn't all want to just stand by."
She said: "I think any disability should be taught in schools to reduce the stigma."
Just 14 months ago, Miss Marshall was studying a beauty course while also taking dance sessions
Then, when D'Shawn was just eight weeks old, she was trying to settle him to sleep when he stopped breathing. He was rushed to hospital, resuscitated and moved to a high dependency unit. After three weeks, he was transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital when tests revealed he was epileptic. Miss Marshall was also told he had brain damage, profound development delay, partial sight and microcephaly – a smaller than expected head.
D'Shawn has a rare form of epilepsy which requires him to have a special ketogenic diet, and only fed through a tube.
Miss Marshall, who is engaged to her boyfriend Damien Wood, 21, added: "You wouldn't believe babies could be so strong but he just proves you wrong. He has been through everything and he is still fighting."
Miss Marshall has written D'Shawn's Epilepsy Story in a group on Facebook. She plans to hold a masked ball on August 17 for Epilepsy Action. More information is available on the page of her Facebook group.
