Sam Bailey's Son Rushed to A&E After 'Massive Seizure' as Family Seek Answers Over Epilepsy Medication

X Factor winner Sam Bailey has revealed that her son Tommy, 17, was rushed to a children's A&E by ambulance after what she called a 'massive seizure', his second in five weeks despite being on epilepsy medication.
Bailey, 49, who won the ITV talent show in 2013, said the family still did not know why Tommy was having seizures despite taking medication for epilepsy. He would need to see a neurologist, she said, after his CT scan and blood tests came back normal.
She shared the news in Instagram videos filmed overnight on Monday at a children's A&E department in England. She did not name the hospital.
Tests Clear, but No Explanation
Bailey said Tommy was 'blue-lighted' to hospital at about 7.30pm or 8pm. Speaking at 2.40am on Tuesday, she said the family had waited almost seven hours without seeing a doctor.
'We still don't know why he's having seizures,' she said. 'Even though he's on medication for epilepsy, they should stop the seizure. He's had two in five weeks.'
Tommy was asleep when she filmed and may have suffered concussion when he collapsed, she said. The seizure also left him with facial injuries, though she said he was 'doing okay'.
By early Tuesday he had been discharged. Bailey said a CT scan and blood tests had come back normal.
'He's fine, he's been given the all clear,' she said. 'There needs to be answers as to why he's had a couple of seizures when on his meds. Maybe he needs to look at his meds and change them or up them, I don't know.'
Anti-seizure medication does not control seizures in every person with epilepsy, and a specialist may review treatment when seizures continue. Bailey said Tommy would now need a neurologist's assessment.
'Poorly Children to the Brim' in A&E
Bailey described a busy department, with shouting, security staff stepping in, people being restrained and babies crying. The family had been placed in a soundproofed room.
'I feel like I'm on the set of Holby City,' she said. 'Nurses and doctors running around... They are doing their best. It's really busy for a Monday night.'
In a later Instagram Story, she praised staff. 'Can we sit here and appreciate how bloody hard the doctors and nurses work,' she said, adding that the unit was full of 'poorly children'.
Background to Tommy's Diagnosis
Bailey has spoken publicly about Tommy's health needs. She first discussed his autism diagnosis on ITV's Loose Women, saying she felt guilty for not spotting the signs sooner. He was later diagnosed with epilepsy in 2024, she has said, when she thanked Leicester hospitals and the charity Young Epilepsy for their support during 'a very challenging time'.
She previously told GB News she paid for a private autism diagnosis to speed up the process, but then had to prove he could not cope in mainstream school. She said a GP told her 'we can't deal with this' and advised her to contact the National Autistic Society.
Bailey, a former prison officer, said she was 'absolutely baffled' by the response.