This site is a tribute to Jeremy Snape, born in Tring on February 23, 1996 and lost to SUDEP* on 29 August 2016.
Our love for you is in
All that you were
All that you are, and
All that you would have been
There are more than half a million people with epilepsy in the UK. Around 600 people die each year due to *Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Although the percentage of the population who are affected by SUDEP is relatively low, every death due to SUDEP is thought to be potentially avoidable.
This fundraising page was created in memory of Jeremy. Jeremy suffered a handful of night seizures in his early teens. Tests did not reveal anything and the seizures stopped as suddenly as they'd appeared. They started again in his second year at uni and he opted to start a course of medication which seemed to have been effective. Tragically, during a holiday with his mum and sister in August 2016, Jeremy had a nocturnal seizure that he did not wake up from. He was 20 years old.
It is impossible to describe the love we have for Jeremy and the grief that we feel at having lost him. Jeremy’s family wrote the above poem to try and capture that feeling.
A note about Jeremy from his sister Laura:
As a little boy, Jeremy was a ball of energy, always running around and jumping up and down with excitement. Through his interest in chess, he showed us how driven and competitive he could be. He channeled all of that energy into learning and practicing the game and was representing Hertfordshire from the age of 6 in national chess competitions. He could often be found jumping up and down in front of the chess board during games!
We were so impressed when Jeremy chose to pursue a maths A-Level and subsequently a maths and computer science degree. These were not subjects that came naturally to him but he was fascinated by them and so yet again he pushed himself to learn.
Jeremy had a sharp wit and a wicked sense of humour that was accompanied by such warmth and affection for his family and those close to him. The presents and cards he got for us are a good example of this. During the time that I lived abroad Jeremy would leave birthday and Christmas presents for me to find on the shelf in my room whenever I came home to visit. The gifts were always so thoughtful and the cards so funny!
Jeremy was so different in such wonderful ways and we love that he always stayed true to himself. I was always trying to encourage him to wear more fashionable clothes but he insisted on sticking with what he was comfortable in! When there was pressure to drink at uni, Jeremy turned up to a freshers week party with a bottle of Vimto. He didn’t need to pretend to be something he wasn’t. He found a lovely group of friends who loved him for all of the same reasons we did.
Jeremy’s life was cut short at a time when he was learning so much and gaining a lot of confidence. When you lose someone so young you grieve for the person they were and also for the person they would have become. As our lives continue we carry our beloved Jeremy with us.
Fundraising for the Epilepsy Society research into the condition has been our way of honouring his memory. Their dedicated research team aim is to spearhead personalised treatment and incorporate genomic diagnosis into the NHS for people with epilepsy.
Help grow Jeremy's Tribute by adding messages or memories you'd like to share.