I Am an Epilepsy Warrior

My first seizure took place at the young age of 3 while in my father’s arms. Before my official diagnosis of epilepsy, I found myself constantly complaining of experiencing severe headaches and slight dizziness. I remember waking up throughout the night, walking into my parents’ room, and crying because I was confused and could not remember why I woke up. One night, I needed emergency help, and I found myself lying in an ambulance. We were on the highway, and my mom was sitting on my left side, asking me if I knew who she was. My head was throbbing, I felt fragile, and I was sore in all places of my body, including my severely injured tongue. I did not know what epilepsy was at that young age and was not aware of how different my life would be moving forward.

I was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 10 years old, a year after my grandmother’s passing. My primary care doctor explained to my family that I have tonic-clonic seizures, and I was prescribed an anti-seizure medication. Discovering which seizure medication was the best fit to manage my tonic-clonic seizures was quite challenging. My first anti-seizure medication caused a severe allergic reaction, which resulted in my entire body swelling, redness, bumps, and uncontrollable itching. This reaction was traumatizing for not only myself but my parents and siblings too. I remember my father’s eyes tearing up as he said, “My baby does not even look like herself.” Growing up, I can recall missing a lot of school due to appointments, testing, and seizure emergencies. 
 

My first seizure in school occurred in the sixth grade, it was the end of the day and I was in my basketball coach’s classroom. I could recall feeling dizzy and losing my sense of feeling and hearing. I told a classmate that I did not feel well, and I needed to take a seat but the school bell rang. I remember waking up on the floor with an extreme headache and students surrounding me with fear in their eyes. I did not know where I was, who I was, and why I was on the school floor. 

After that experience, my parents and older sister ensured that my school nurses, teachers, and staff knew about my neurological disorder and took the proper protocol, such as seizure first-aid. My parents decided we needed to change our sleeping and eating habits and increase physical activity. That decision let me get through the tough days that often made me feel isolated. With my family by my side, I knew that I could get through and face adversity. As I transitioned into high school, I was able to identify my seizure symptoms, aura, and what to do in emergencies such as being alone or performing at a sporting event. Throughout middle and high school, I experienced frequent tonic-clonic seizures that interfered with my learning and social development. 

Once I was accepted into North Carolina A&T State University, I wanted to prove that I could accomplish anything with God on my side and a supportive family. I decided to take independence with my epilepsy journey and hold myself accountable for my medications, sleep, and eating habits along with maintaining my stress levels. I accomplished my educational aspirations and proved that you can do anything you want. I graduated from my alma mater with an overall GPA of 3.61 and a Magna Cum Laude. I also graduated in the top ten percent of the class of 2023 and completed undergraduate research related to COVID-19 and epilepsy. I took on various leadership roles and remain an honors student. I am a proud epilepsy warrior who will pursue graduate school and a neuro-related career path. 

My faith in God and my family have both played a significant role in my epilepsy journey and have been my voice for over 14 years.  I am proud to say, “I do not look like what I have been through,” and I remained a scholarly student-athlete.  I decided to share my story because I find epilepsy advocacy and awareness to be an imperative part of my life. Meeting others with epilepsy and sharing similar experiences reminds me that I am not alone.  I hope to inspire, encourage, and uplift epilepsy warriors, families, and caregivers in my home state of North Carolina. I will continue to be a voice for the epilepsy community.

I love all epilepsy warriors and hope you feel the love and are inspired to keep going. Never give up, no matter how hard life becomes. You are here for a reason and that rough patch you are going through is only for a season. Keep moving forward and do not let epilepsy define you but let your epilepsy journey be a portion of the person you are today.