THE dad of an 18-year-old who passed away unexpectedly in her bedroom while on the phone to her boyfriend is raising awareness about her condition to try and save others from the same fate.
Ellen May Hardwick, who was known to friends as Ellie, said she wasn’t feeling very well just minutes before her collapse, according to boyfriend Aidan Healy, 19.
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Ellen May Hardwick, known as Ellie, died at 18-years-old while on the phone to her boyfriend Credit: SWNS
Pictured with her boyfriend, Aidan Healy, 19 Credit: SWNS
Ellie, from Chelmsford, Essex, was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was five but had the condition well under control.
Her dad, James Hardwick, 52, said Ellie had always been able to detect warning signs a few minutes in advance of a seizure, allowing her to warn the people around her and get into a safe position.
But on December 29, 2025, she had a seizure in her room without warning, despite not having had one in almost a year.
James had been out the house at the time, and was phoned by the neighbour. He rushed home to find Ellie’s mum, Paula Hardwick, 54, sobbing as paramedics performed CPR.
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Ellies dad James, pictured here, is trying to raise awareness about his daughter’s cause of death Credit: SWNS
Pictured with her dad and mum, Paula, Ellie passed away after having an unexpected seizure Credit: SWNS
James’ daughter, however, sadly could not be saved and the dad is now trying to raise awareness about the condition.
This is known as ‘sudep’ – a sudden, unexpected death in epilepsy.
“She had been in her room at home, laughing on the phone to Aidan – before I left, I went up to her bedroom, and she said ‘see you later Dad, love you’,” James, an online business owner, said.
“Two hours later, I got the call that she wasn’t breathing.
“Her mum had heard her go bang on the floor, and I rushed back but Ellie had gone straight into a seizure.”
Forensic science college student Ellie hadn’t had a seizure in almost a year and she had never had one without warning before.
James said she would normally notice ‘warning signs’ 10 minutes before a seizure – such as things ‘looking different’ or her vision started ‘flashing’.
“As Ellie got older, she began to grow out of the seizures – there were longer periods between them,” James said.
What to do if someone if someone is having a seizure
If you see someone having a seizure or fit:
Only move them if they’re in danger, such as near a busy road or hot cooker
Cushion their head if they’re on the ground
Loosen any tight clothing around their neck, such as a collar or tie, to aid breathing
Turn them on to their side after their convulsions stop
Stay with them and talk to them calmly until they recover
Note the time the seizure starts and finishes
If the person is in a wheelchair, put the brakes on and leave any seatbelt or harness on. Support them gently and cushion their head, but do not try to move them.
Do not put anything in their mouth, including your fingers. They should not have any food or drink until they have fully recovered.
Call 999 and ask for an ambulance if:
It’s the first time someone has had a seizure
The seizure lasts longer than is usual for them
The seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, if you do not know how long their seizures usually last
The person does not regain full consciousness, or has several seizures without regaining consciousness
The person is seriously injured during the seizure
The person has difficulty breathing after the seizure
Source: NHS
“We know it had been almost a year since her last one, because she wanted to start driving lessons and come off some of her medication.”
But in December, her unexpected seizure caused a cardiac arrest and tragically paramedics were unable to revive her.
According to the Epilepsy Society, there are over 600,000 people with epilepsy in the UK and approximately 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy lose their lives to sudep every year.
James said: “I couldn’t believe it, she was just gone – just like that – we had no idea she could die just like that.
“I don’t want to scare people, but I need people to know that this can and does happen.
“Ellie loved life – I used to take her fishing, metal detecting and to the arcades.
“She touched people when they became friends with her, and she had friends all over,” he said, adding that she “loved Aidan to pieces”.
Along with her parents and boyfriend, Ellie has left behind her siblings Connor, 20, and Violet 17, all of who didn’t learn the cause of her death until autopsy reports returned three weeks ago.
Ellie was laid to rest on April 23, after a local fundraiser saw more than £8,100 raised for her funeral.
And now, Ellie’s dad has “made it his mission” to educate others on sudep, and hopes to set up a charity in his daughter’s name in her memory.
The family have also launched a fundraiser for three charities – Essex and Herts Air Ambulance, Epilepsy Society and SUDEP Action.
James said: “I don’t want Ellie’s name to be lost in the past, I want it to be carried forward”.
