A Bradford man whose life is ruined by epilepsy is pinning his hopes for a new start on a hi-tech nerve implant.

Mark McGeachy, 27, suffers from at least ten and sometimes more than 20 epileptic seizures a day.

He has tried at least ten different types of drugs to try to control the condition and has even taken part in trials of new drugs but none have been successful.

The condition leaves him a virtual recluse at his home in Wyke Crescent, Wyke, but now he and his family are hoping an implant which provides electrical stimulation along a nerve leading to the brain could reduce, or even stop, the fits.

He will find out from a specialist neurosurgeon at Leeds General Infirmary later this year if he could benefit from the device, which costs £5,000 and has been given to only about 20 people in this country. The operation to fit it and the after-care costs £6,000.

Mark said he suffered his first seizure after he was hit on the head with a cricket bat when he was aged six.

He now has no quality of life, suffering sometimes more than 20 fits a day with all their side-effects and countless more while asleep. He had also suffered a stroke when he was 21.

He missed much of his schooling, could not work, rarely went out and had no social life.

He now spends most of his time on a computer or watching television in his bedroom, but is hoping he could pursue a computing career if the epilepsy can be controlled.

"My quality of life is nil," he said.

"I've tried every drug there is and it hasn't worked. If this implant works I could get some life and do stuff I wanted to do."

His mother, Sandra, said they hoped a charity would help with the cost of the implant but were preparing to raise money for the procedure if necessary.

His father, William, said he feared his son was becoming more and more withdrawn due to his condition

"I feel he's going to become a recluse unless something is done."

Sandra Howard, who set up the Sheffield-based charity For A Better Life with Epilepsy after her son, Gareth, became the first in the country to have the implant, said the operation was available on the NHS provided it was recommended by a consultant but the cost of the implant often was not.

The charity paid for the cost of the device and had so far helped 17 people.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.