Doctors knew in 1973 that the epilepsy drug sodium valproate posed a risk to unborn children — and ordered that warnings be removed from packets. Almost 50 years and 20,000 disabled babies later, it is still being prescribed to pregnant women.

My son Ethan,11 is one of these children who suffers daily with his disabilities he has autistic traits, learning difficulties, problems with his muscles, sensory issues, severe anxiety, auditory processing  disorder and the list goes on. Ethan was a planned pregnancy and I was not warned about the risks my medication would cause to him until I saw my specialist at around 3 months pregnant. I was then told that the risks to him were only 2% so was advised to carry on taking sodium valproate to control my seizures. It was only further into my pregnancy after  having researched the medication myself that I discovered the true facts that the risks to my unborn child were more 40% if I had known this earlier perhaps I could of prevented some of Ethan’s health issues and in turn his suffering, this is a guilt I will carry with me forever because what I put in my mouth harmed him. I knew straight away there was something wrong he was delayed in every milestone. He was 3 and a half before he could walk and talk and had to start school at 4 in nappies and not being able to communicate with the other children because of his speech delays. He was denied any special assistance in school which I fought against constantly for 7 years to get him a  educational health care plan. He has always fallen into a grey area within the education settings as mainstream is a struggle for him and SEN settings are also unsuitable for his needs. He is a amazing boy who is so filled with love for life and people around him. He faces every challenge in life with positivity and makes us so proud. As much as he brings us so much joy it has been heartbreaking watching him go though this journey. His future is unsure, will he be able to live independently? Will he be able to work? Will he be able to have a partner and a family? What will he do when I’m not here to care for him? The damage that has been done to him and 20,000 other children could of been easily avoided by the drug company and the government by giving clear warnings and not withholding the information about the risks. Our children deserve access to the support they need to improve all parts of their lives for example easier diagnosis, support in education, access to specific medical care, financial support and compensation, support to live independently in suitable cases and anything else they need to make there life that bit easier. Getting this support for our children is a constant fight, it should not be this way. Please sign this petition and help me get the government to put a care package together for our innocent children who are the victims of this scandal. Make a stand make a change!