Hope for those who suffer from epileptic seizures comes to give a new device whose results are already very encouraging.

Oran Knowlson, a boy with severe epilepsy has become the first patient in the world to try this new device placed in his skull to control seizures. The neurostimulator, which sends electrical signals deep into his brain, has reduced his daytime seizures by 80 percent. His mother, Justine, told the BBC he was happier and had a “much better quality of life”.

The trial surgery took place last October at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London when Oran was 12 years old. Today he is 13 years old. Oran, from Somerset, has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a treatment-resistant form of epilepsy which he developed aged just 3.

Since then he has been faced with several daily crises ranging from a dozen to hundreds.

“He was robbed of his entire childhood,” his mother says, explaining that he had a series of different seizures, falling to the ground, violently shaking, losing consciousness. In fact, from time to time he stops breathing because of this and needed urgent medication to revive him.

Oran has autism and ADHD, but his mother says his epilepsy is by far the biggest problem: “I had a brilliant three-year-old and within a few months of the onset of the seizures his condition deteriorated rapidly and he lost a lot of skills,” said Oran. Justin’s mother.

The Picostim neurotransmitter implanted in his brain is manufactured by the British company Amber. Deep brain stimulation has been tried in the past for childhood epilepsy, but until now neurostimulators were placed in the chest, with wires up to the brain.

Oran needed a month to recover from the operation before the neurostimulator was activated. When activated, Oran cannot sense him. And he can recharge the device every day via wireless headphones while doing things he likes, like watching TV.

“He is more alert,” his mother said, adding that his nighttime seizures are also “shorter and less severe.”

As part of the trials, three more children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome will be fitted with the neurostimulator.

Currently, Oran receives a continuous electrical stimulus from his device.

Oran’s family knows his treatment isn’t a real cure, but they’re hopeful he’ll continue to step out of the shadow cast by his epilepsy.

The neurostimulator Picostim, owned by Amber Therapeutics, has also been used to treat patients with Parkinson’s disease.