Ayr man calls for more awareness about "unknown" brain condition
Ken Nairn suffered with Encephalitis when he was just 2 years-old.
An Ayr man is revealing how a rare brain condition completely changed his life.
Ken Nairn, 54, suffered from Encephalitis when he was just two years old.
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain and is caused either by an infection invading the brain or through the immune system attacking the brain in error.
The condition is indiscriminate, striking adults and children alike and showing no respect for age, gender, or ethnicity.
Mortality rates are high and in those who survive many are left with an acquired brain injury, the degree and severity of which will vary. Their difficulties may include cognitive, physical, emotional, behavioural, or psychosocial consequences.
Despite the possibility that encephalitis can affect any of us at any time, eight in ten people across the world are not aware of what encephalitis is, what the symptoms are or how severely it can affect sufferers in all aspects of their lives.
Ken says, "I had special needs. I had a very low concentration problem and as a result left school with very poor qualifications.
"I didn't know what was happening. I just thought I was thick. It was very difficut to actually work out how to sit down and concentrate. That seemed to be the part of my brain that was affected the most. I could get quite angry and axious about things.
"There was no doubt about the fact that I had a problem but my family and I were just left to our own devices with little support.
"What has to happen now is that support has got to be given to kids and adults who have Encephalitis but more importantly to the families so they're not left in the dark."
Dr Ava Easton is the Chief Executive of the Encephalitis Society. She says, "It can happen to anyone of any gender, any ethnicity and any age and leave long term or permanent damage.
"But no matter which country we survey, eight out of ten people still don't know what it is."
Today, Thursday 22nd February, is World Encephalitis Day which aims to raise more awareness about the condition and create a support network for families affected.
You can find out more here.