Zach Eagling, who also suffers with epilepsy, was the victim of online bullies
A Yorkshire boy bullied online overcame the trolls by making their actions a criminal offense.
Zach Eagling, 14, from Liversedge, has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. He campaigned tirelessly with charity Epilepsy Society after bullies sent him flashing images online in order to induce a seizure when he was only eight years old.
His work paid off in 2023 when the new legislation, Zach’s Law, was inserted into the Online Safety Act which covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The 14-year-old received the Teenage of Courage Award at the Pride of Britain Awards.
Mum Claire Keer, 44, said: “Pretty phenomenal achievement, isn’t it? Thoroughly deserved. I’m really proud of him and he’s just had an amazing experience. When he found out, he kind of shrieked and cried and was absolutely over-the-moon, really.”
At the awards, he met with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and celebrities such as actor Michael Sheen and Yorkshire sports pundit Chris Kamara.
The malicious and co-ordinated online attacks occurred while Zach was raising money for Epilepsy Society . He was challenging himself to walk 1.6 miles in his back garden at the time.
Claire had posted Zach’s Just Giving campaign on X and was met with the online abuse targeting epilepsy sufferers.
Claire said: “I think three other people were affected by it. Zach was only eight at the time and he luckily didn’t see it. It was on my Twitter pages. When we kind of joined forces with the Epilepsy Society, he understood what was going on and that’s why he’s stuck with them.
“He just wanted to make sure everyone else could be protected from it. He was quite angry about it and a bit confused as to why someone would want to do something like that. He took it upon himself to explain to other people the physical implications of seizures and what it could lead to.”
Claire has added the 14-year-old is continuing to campaign to make disabled people’s live easier. Zach, who uses a wheelchair for long distances, next mission is to make public transport more accessible.
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