Middlesbrough footballer Matt Crooks shares his experience of living with epilepsy

• Video report by Chris Conway.

A Middlesbrough footballer has been sharing his experience of living with Epilepsy.

Boro's Matt Crooks says his main message is to not let it consume your life.

The 27-year-old has been living with epilepsy - the condition first discovered following a seizure when he was just 18.

Matt said: “I have remember the journey in the ambulance, my predominant memory was waking up in the hospital.

"I had quite a few in a short space of time and luckily enough for me being a footballer I was able to see the best people in the quickest time. They diagnosed me and had lots of tests done”

Epilepsy is a condition which affects the brain and can cause seizures.

Now Matt is working with the Peter Doody Foundation.

The charity works to normalise Epilepsy and free young adults from stigma, limitations and fear - as well as highlighting the dangers of the condition

It was set up in memory of Peter Doody, who died suddenly as a result of his epilepsy when he was just 21.

Joanne Doody said: “I think it’s really important that people living with epilepsy, they are not seen with their epilepsy, they are whoever they are. They happen to have epilepsy."

Matt added: "It effect people in different ways and sometimes it can get you down a bit when you’re thinking about the next time you have a seizure.

“I’m just trying to show people that hopefully with the right medication it can get better and you don’t have to let your dreams be deterred by the condition.”