YC Adult award nomination: Brave fundraiser Sian Jones

Oct 3 2008

Sian Jones

A YOUNG woman who works hard to raise awareness of the illness which killed her adored sister has been nominated for a Your Champions award.

Dr Rachel Rhiannon Jones from Deganwy died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) on November 1 last year at the age of 23.

Rachel, who had just qualified as a doctor, was very close to her jewellery designer sister Sian, who says her death has left a huge void in her life.

To raise awareness of the little-known condition SUDEP, Sian decided to take part in the London Triathlon, and has raised £4,000 over the past year for the charity Epilepsy Bereaved.

"I’m still very angry that she died of SUDEP, which we didn’t know existed," says Sian, who now lives in Birmingham. "Until the end of my days I’ll do anything to raise the awareness of SUDEP."

On being nominated for a Your Champions award, Sian said: "At first I was very reluctant to accept the nomination as I really don’t want this to be about me, I don’t want any personal recognition for it.

"I don’t want people to be reading the Weekly News and saying: ‘Oh no, it’s that girl again, can’t she just get over it!’. I’m accepting the nomination as it’s a chance to raise the profile of the thing that killed my sister."

"Thanks to the person who nominated me, I feel very humbled," added Sian, 22, who still comes home to North Wales regularly to see her parents.

As well as completing part of the London Triathlon, in which she had to swim half a mile alongside 220 swimmers in the Thames, Sian also raised £1,200 by taking part in the traditional Llandudno Boxing Day dip. Next year she hopes to complete the entire marathon by herself.