Cameron Boyce Died from Epilepsy at 20, Here’s What You Should Know About the Condition

News that Cameron Boyce has died in July left everyone scrambling for any confirmation on the internet, crossing fingers that it was just a distasteful hoax. Sadly, people learned that it was true and fellow actors and fans’ heartfelt messages outpoured for the deceased.

Most who reacted were shocked by what happened because the Disney child star was just 20 when he passed away in his sleep from a seizure that stemmed from epilepsy, his parents revealed.

Cameron Boyce’s Condition

A coroner’s report confirmed the parents’ statement that the death was because of the seizure Cameron had that was associated with his epilepsy, which he was then undergoing treatment for.

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Although the brain disorder doesn’t relatively hamper a person’s way of living, there is a small chance that it could be fatal – either from seizure complications, like a person bumping his head or car accidents, or what is called sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, a phenomenon that’s quite unpopular.

Cameron is best known for his Disney Channel role Luke Ross in Jessie, which ran from 2011 to 2015, as well as Cruella de Vil’s son, Carlos de Vil, in the Descendants franchise. He also posthumously starred in the third installment of the musical fantasy picture, which recently premiered.

Not Uncommon

While Cameron’s death opened the conversation again on epilepsy, note that it is a common medical condition of the brain.

Epilepsy, according to the Epilepsy Foundation, doesn’t pertain to a single disease, rather it is any recurring and unprovoked seizures that didn’t result from explainable causes like low blood sugar or alcohol withdrawal.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 3.4 million patients who have the active form of epilepsy.

What’s frustrating is that most of the time, its cause cannot be linked with one reason as it can be a result of brain issues, like infections, traumatic injury, or stroke. Its severity varies from person to another.

Almost two-thirds of the patients with the condition can nearly or wholly eliminate seizures through medication, American Neurological Association’s Dr. Kathryn Davis said.

Unfortunately for some, including those who developed the disease at such a young age, it can have “significant cognitive impairments.”

SUDEP

As mentioned, those with epilepsy can live a long life, however, it is the complications of the condition that one needs to be wary of. SUDEP, meanwhile, takes the life of more than 1 in every 1,000 people with the disease, the CDC said.

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SUDEP is comparable to sudden infant death syndrome

Kathryn said that this was much like the sudden infant death syndrome, also known as crib death, which usually happens to babies of less than 1.

SUDEP also occurs during sleep and may be caused by a seizure that affects the heart rhythm or ability to breathe.

Those who can’t manage their condition or those who developed epilepsy at a young age have a higher risk of experiencing this. So what’s the best way to prevent this? That is to work with a health professional to prevent seizures and to keep away from triggers such as alcohol.