Working together with individuals, families and medical professionals to offer support and information on Syncope conditions. 


STARS (Syncope Trust and Reflex Anoxic Seizures) charity was founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 by Trudie Lobban after her daughter, Francesca, was diagnosed with Reflex Anoxic Seizures.  Francesca's first seizure was at the age of 10 months old and was not accurately diagnosed until she was three-and-a-half years old.  Trudie wrote to every pediatric neurologist she could find in the UK and parts of the US.  Finally she received a phone call from a pediatric neurologist in Scotland, Dr. John Stephenson, who named the condition (RAS) in 1978 and is a world expert. After many tests Dr. Stephenson was able to diagnose Francesca with RAS. 

After the diagnosis, Trudie was dismayed to find there was no support or treatment for her daughter.  Dr. Stephenson suggested she start a support group for others that were experiencing the same frustration she had.  She knew she wasn't alone with her fears, that there were others who were experiencing the same nightmare.  She also knew that Syncope can be extremely difficult to diagnose leaving sufferers, parents and doctors in a terrifying limbo - not knowing what's wrong and living in constant fear of another attack.  In her quest to support and educate others Trudie created STARS. 

Today, STARS receives 8,000 requests a month from people in just that position.  A large amount of these requests come from the United States.  The need to establish STARS in the United States was evident. June, 2006, STARS officially became a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization and began their ever so important mission.