Nathan Buckley has revealed that his girlfriend Brodie Ryan suffers from epilepsy.
The AFL star hopes to shed light on the neurological disorder and is taking part in the Walk for Epilepsy charity event.
“It’s Brodes’ story that needs to be told, but she’s had a few seizures over the last four or five years and she’s still in the process of working out exactly what’s wrong with her,” the 52-year-old told the BBC. Herald of the Sun on Tuesday.
“She’s had one or two (seizures) in the last two and a half years of our relationship and we’re in the process of figuring out what’s going on and getting to the bottom of it,” he continued.
“As you can imagine, it’s pretty scary to go from operating to actually having a failure, so we’re in the process of figuring out what’s causing it and how it’s happening.”
Nathan said that by discussing the issue publicly, he hopes to lift the stigma around the disease and help Brodie, 35, “understand it a little bit better.”
Epilepsy is characterized by bursts of uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain that prevent nerve cells from communicating with each other properly, triggering seizures in which everything from muscle control to senses like taste and smell go completely haywire for a few minutes.
This results in seizures, which for some may simply mean that food tastes strange, while others may have such violent reactions that they lose consciousness.
Nathan Buckley has revealed that his girlfriend Brodie Ryan suffers from epilepsy. The AFL star hopes to shed light on the neurological disorder and will take part in the Walk for Epilepsy charity event. The pair are pictured
The main treatment is anti-epileptic drugs to reduce the risk of seizures by altering the electrical activity of brain cells so that they become less “excitable” and less likely to fail.
More severe cases may require surgery to remove a small part of the brain that is causing the seizures.
Other approaches include implanting a small electrical device inside the body and connecting it to the brain to disrupt chaotic signals between nerve cells, or following a ketogenic diet (low in carbohydrates and high in protein and fat), which is thought to reduce the “excitability” of nerve cells and may halve the number of episodes.
The high-profile couple are often spotted cruising the Melbourne scene.
Brodie previously revealed that she and Nathan connected over their similar upbringings, after they began dating in 2022.
“It’s Brodes’ story that needs to be told, but he’s had a few seizures over the last four or five years and he’s still in the process of figuring out exactly what’s wrong with him,” the 52-year-old said.
Despite their 17-year age gap, the Melbourne businesswoman said they have a lot in common and push each other every day to be the best version of themselves.
“Helping others be the best version of themselves and prioritising their mental health and wellbeing and giving back to others is a passion that both Nath and I have always shared. These topics were a big draw for both of us in the beginning,” she said.
“We had a very similar upbringing and share many of the same values because of this,” he continued.
“I have always been passionate about helping others in any way I can, and having a colleague who exercises this same passion every day with his family, friends and the community at large inspires me.”
Brodie said Nathan’s public profile has given her the opportunity to help others overcome hardships and give back, and that she is “inspired” by the work he does.
In love with her love, she gushed: “He is a beautiful person.”
The former Collingwood player is also clearly smitten with Brodie as he often expresses his love for her on social media.
“She’s had one or two (seizures) in the last two and a half years of our relationship and we’re in the process of figuring out what’s going on and getting to the bottom of it,” he continued.