Tributes paid to Sheffield epilepsy campaigner who died from coronavirus, aged 83

David Streets, of Bents Green, passed away in June at Northern General Hospital at the age of 83 after being diagnosed with coronavirus.

David's interest in epilepsy began when his otherwise healthy nineteen-year-old son had his first seizure.

This gave him first-hand experience of the fears and concerns of parents of children with epilepsy and a desire to find out more about the condition.

He helped set up the Sheffield branch of the British Epilepsy Association - now Epilepsy Action - in 1989, serving a variety of roles for the charity at both a local and national level.

And in 2018, along with another Sheffield branch member Maureen Taylor, David was the recipient of Epilepsy Action's special Hilary Figg Award for long and distinguished service.

Friend and colleague Duncan Froggatt, the current chair of Epilepsy Action in Sheffield, said David’s impact on the public understanding of epilepsy in Sheffield could not be overstated.

He said: “He touched countless lives in the city and helped hundreds of people understand how to live with the condition and get the best treatment possible.

“Over the years David must have spoken to hundreds of individuals, businesses and organisations about epilepsy. He was passionate about raising awareness of the condition and educating people.

“David wasn’t a man that drifted through his 83 years. He was on the go and full of energy. He lived life to the full and the imprint of his touch on the world will stay with us all as his legacy.”

People from all over the epilepsy community in the UK have also been paying tribute to David since his death.

The chief executive of Epilepsy Action, Philip Lee, said David’s ‘tireless effort and commitment’ had played a huge role in the extraordinary success of the charity’s Sheffield branch.

And Markus Reuber, professor of clinical neurology at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said David’s ‘generosity and wisdom’ would be ‘hugely missed’.

David is survived by his wife Joan, his three children Michael, Martin and Susan, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

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