This year’s Raising Awareness award is going to Derrick Kay, celebrating his uplifting and engaging media work.
Derrick has had epilepsy since he was eight years old. His YouTube channel Derrick Kay Seizure Survivor is where he shares his experiences. It is also the home of his myth-busting vlogs, such as dos and don’ts for seizures, all presented in a catchy, direct and honest way. He uses clips, drones, effects, music and captions to tell his epilepsy story. Engaging, warm and creative, Derrick loves to motivate people and dispel misconceptions too. Beyond his own channel, he featured in BBC Three’s ‘Things not to say to people with epilepsy’ in 2017, with over 880k views.
As an Epilepsy Action media volunteer, Derrick is one of our go-to patient voices. Willing and articulate, he has done several live interviews on Sky News, London Live and 5 News. He has talked openly about employment, mental health and first aid to help bring Epilepsy Action media campaigns to life.
Derrick has really put his heart and soul into raising awareness of epilepsy. He has an infectious positivity and yet is responsible in his approach. He engages brilliantly with his audience and is always championing them. The media work he does for Epilepsy Action helps to break down barriers and tell the story of many people’s lived experiences with epilepsy.
Accepting the award via video link, Derrick said: “It all started back in 2016, with me making a video and asking Epilepsy Action for expert insight. It grew from there and the media work they’ve involved me in has been really brilliant. I love supporting the charity and it’s so rewarding to know that by sharing my own story, I’m helping others to feel more positive and less isolated by their condition.”