Leanne O’Keeffe
Dravet syndrome is a rare and complex form of epilepsy affecting around 1 in 15,000 people in the UK. It’s far more than seizures as many children living with it also experience significant co-morbidities including behaviours that challenge, yet almost no research exists into how therapeutic, non-medical support could help.
Thanks to funding from The Music Therapy Charity, PhD researcher Leanne O’Keeffe was able to travel to three schools across the Midlands to deliver a year of individual music therapy sessions to primary-aged children with Dravet syndrome, something that would not have been financially possible otherwise, given the long distances involved in reaching this rare client group.
The impact has been twofold. The children themselves received meaningful, tailored therapeutic support they wouldn’t otherwise have accessed. At the same time, their sessions are generating vital new evidence which is grounded in real clinical practice, not just theory, and that could change how children with Dravet syndrome (and other related conditions) are supported in future.
The Music Therapy Charity is the only organisation in the UK dedicated to funding music therapy research for life-changing impact. Without it, evidence-based work like this simply wouldn’t happen, and the profession’s growth and reputation depend on funding like theirs continuing, so more children and families can benefit in future.