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With a rare talent for music, Peter Doody had the prospect for the brightest of futures. The former student at the Leeds College of Music died suddenly in May, at the age of just 21.

His parents hadn't known it was a possibility. They were oblivious to the warning signs as his risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy was rising.

The pain is still raw, but they are determined to action change, in the hope that no other family is torn apart by the trauma they've endured.

"We would do anything to turn back the clock," says father Andrew Doody, a retired detective with West Yorkshire Police.

Andrew and Joanne Doody, with a portrait of their son Peter who died suddenly in May at the age of 21. His parents, forming the Peter Doody Foundation, hope to raise awareness of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and support other families. Picture Tony Johnson

"All the time the risk factors were rising for Peter, and we didn't realise. We could have coped with the truth had we known."

Every day, three people die from epilepsy in the UK, and it is among the top 10 causes of death for people under the age of 35.

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) accounts for half of all deaths, yet research has found that under 20 per cent of clinicians openly discuss its risks with patients.

These discussions, the Doody family argue, should be held as a rule, rather than just as a guideline, and they are fighting to raise awareness.

Peter Doody, from Wyke, was a talented musician who had studied production at the Leeds College of Music. Image family own.

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Peter's condition was diagnosed at the age of 17, after episodes where he would 'zone out'. Then came the tonic-clonic seizures.

He was determined not to let the condition bind his life, his parents say, and progressed to university as planned, studying production at the Leeds College of Music.

But through this time, his seizures were worsening, he was becoming increasingly tired. The risk signs for SUDEP were there, and neither Peter nor his family were aware.

Peter Doody, a former student at Leeds College of Music, was diagnosed with epilepsy at 17, and died suddenly in May at the age of 21. Image family's own.

At the family home, in Wyke, building work is underway. They had started an extension, just before Peter died, so he could have his own space.

The irony is that it's no longer needed, says mother Joanne, glancing quickly at the pictures of her two sons, Peter and his brother Harry, now 20, that adorn the walls.

Her pain is achingly evident, as is Andrew's. It had been a time for celebration, just before Peter's death.

Mr Doody had taken early retirement, they were looking to the future, and had just days before returned from a family holiday to Turkey.

Family's tribute to former Leeds student Peter Doody after sudden epilepsy death