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'If you cut out part of my brain am I still Jody?'

Brain surgery cured Jody Smith's epileptic seizures but he discovered one dark night when he was about to be mugged that he'd lost his fear instinct too.

Jody grew up with many anxieties, especially around death. His father and brother both died while he was still in his teens. Years later he started to have seizures. He was diagnosed with epilepsy and doctors decided the best course of action for him was brain surgery. It cured his seizures but had some other surprising side effects too. Jody's relationship with fear had changed. He's become more outgoing, talkative and able to live his life with more freedom.

*Please note this programme includes repetitive percussive music which in very rare cases can be a trigger for epileptic seizures.*

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Andrea Kennedy

Picture: Jody Smith
Credit: Courtesy of Jody Smith

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24 minutes

Podcast