Mum who suffered first seizure scuba diving 25ft under the sea says epilepsy will not stop her travelling the world

A mum of two who suffered her first epileptic fit 25ft under the sea during a scuba dive off the coast of Thailand has described her debilitating condition as her “superpower” after setting up three businesses, winning an award for helping others with epilepsy and travelling the world with her family.

Jennifer Constant, 38, who runs a training academy coaching wedding celebrants called The Academy of Modern Celebrancy, had no prior history of epilepsy when she had a seizure 25ft (7.6m) below the surface near the island of Ko Tao.

Blacking out, Jennifer “floated down into the darkness” before she was rescued by another diver and hoisted back onto the boat where she was resuscitated and rushed to hospital.

It was not until two years later, when she suffered another seizure while travelling in Argentina, that she was sent back to the UK and diagnosed with epilepsy.

Since then, Jennifer has battled epileptic fits at random, including during her pregnancy and one instance where her then two-year-old son Ethan had to unlock the door to her home to let her husband in because she had left her key in the lock – but she says medication has helped her to “manage” the condition.

Originally from Southampton, Hampshire, Jennifer continues to travel the world with her husband Terry, 42, and their two children, Ethan, seven, and Arlo, three, and recently won an Epilepsy Star Award with charity Epilepsy Action, which celebrates people who have made a difference in the epilepsy community.

Despite her condition, Jennifer continues to travel the world with her family, previously living in New Zealand for a year before travelling in a motorhome throughout Europe for two years.

The family are currently staying in southern Spain but are gearing up to travel to Morocco and Malta before moving to Mauritius.

“Having epilepsy isn’t something I wanted to stop me from having amazing experiences or making memories with my family,” Jennifer told PA Real Life.

“I actually see it as my superpower because I’m more in tune with how to make adjustments for people’s needs at work – having epilepsy has driven me to make experiences better for others.

“I’ve travelled the world with my husband and then with my children too, we lived in a motorhome for nearly two years travelling Europe and now we’re currently living in southern Spain.

“I’d like to inspire others out there but I understand that not everyone can live as freely with epilepsy, luckily my medication supresses my seizures.”

Jennifer experienced her first seizure in 2008 when she went backpacking with Terry after graduating university and the pair ended up in Thailand.

At first, Jennifer was reluctant to try scuba diving but agreed to take on a week-long training course, culminating in three dives.

“We were on the last dive of our course… we had a videographer there and I did a spin in the water and then kind of blacked out,” she said.

“I floated down into the darkness and luckily, a rescue diver saw me floating without my breathing regulator in and my mask off, and he grabbed me and took me all the way to the top.”

Jennifer was hoisted onto the boat where she was resuscitated.

She added: “They had to cut my wetsuit off and resuscitate me, I came round a little bit on the boat but I didn’t really come to properly until I was in hospital.

“It was more dramatic for Terry as he had to witness it all happen.”

Not knowing the cause of Jennifer’s blackout, doctors thought it could have been an isolated incident caused by the diving.

It was not until two years later when she suffered a second seizure while travelling in Argentina and she was sent back home to the UK where she was formally diagnosed with epilepsy.

Jennifer said: “Despite my diagnosis, I’d only had two seizures and didn’t have a third one until two years later in 2012 so I was kind of in denial for a while that it would happen again.

“It wasn’t until they started happening more regularly that I realised actually I do have epilepsy and I should take it more seriously.

“In 2015, I had three seizures towards the end of my first pregnancy on my concrete kitchen floor but I got through it.”

Jennifer’s condition has now become a normal part of family life and while her seizures usually last around two minutes, her family are quick to react when she has a fit.

She said: “When my eldest was two, I had a seizure at home with him and I’d left the key in the door so my husband couldn’t get in.

“It was quite scary and my two-year-old had to unlock the door without really understanding what was going on.

“Now he’s seven and has seen a few of the seizures and he knows to make sure there’s no dangerous stuff around me when it happens.”

Despite having epilepsy, Jennifer has continued to travel the world with her family and said she is “determined” not to let her condition stop her from making memories with her children.

She said: “Travel has always been a huge part of our lives, we’ve travelled pretty much since we left university and I would never let it get in the way.

“As long as I’m properly medicated, I’m fine. There are certain things I can’t do, I wouldn’t scuba dive anymore and I can’t skydive but I’m still travelling and seeing the world with my family.”

This year, Jennifer’s husband nominated her for an Epilepsy Star Award with charity Epilepsy Action which, to her surprise, she won last month.

Jennifer said: “I only found out about it two weeks ago, it was really nice to be recognised. It’s really humbling because when you’ve got something like this, you just kind of get on with it but it can actually really impact your life.

“One of my businesses is being a celebrant, so I will officiate weddings and naming ceremonies for babies, which means I have to stand in front of audiences a lot.

“I never let myself worry that I could have a seizure while I’m working, I don’t let it get in the way of my life but it’s still a factor.”

Jennifer now hopes to inspire other people and sees epilepsy as her “superpower”.

She added: “Because I have epilepsy, I’m more aware of adjustments people might need in ceremonies and I think I’m really tuned in to making sure someone can have their perfect day which is suitable for them.

“Having epilepsy hasn’t stopped me from building my life and having two kids.

“I’ve been able to set up three businesses and travel the world, while inspiring other people and helping people build their own businesses, whilst having something that can be debilitating when it happens.

“I hope my story does inspire other people and help people to know that you can do anything, run a business, travel, have a family, and even get up on a stage and speak in front of hundreds of people and not let it get in the way.”