OPINION: Hope for those living with epilepsy

His teacher though he was just distracted but a month later and Editor Peter Chapman's son was in Royal Prince of Wales Hospital battling for his life.

WHEN my son was just 10 years old he started to have problems at his school.

For no reason he was blanking out in the classroom and seemingly drifting off in a trance.

His teacher thought he was just not paying attention, but a month later he was in Royal Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney battling for his life.

The class absences were our first warning that Jordan was in the early stages of severe epilepsy.

For the next 20 year of his life he lived on a cocktail of medications, each day he would have to take at least 20 tablets. They helped him have somewhat of a normal life, but hardly a day went by when he didn't have at least one seizure.

I mention my son because of the news that medicinal cannabis will soon be trialled to help those living with their cruel ailment. Unfortunately for Jordan it has come too late, he passed away just a few years ago.

I lived in hope that a drug would be found to help improve his life and I will look with great interest to see if medicinal cannabis can help those in great need.

The government should be applauded for at least opening up this opportunity, but they do need to offer more families the opportunity to participate in the Epidiolex trials.