What the cure would mean for me is being able to go and live my life the way I truly want to live it. Growing up with epilepsy has impacted me in a very, very profound way. I was only 21 years old when I first got diagnosed with epilepsy.
Over the years, it has been so complicated—trying to work, maintain self-confidence, and even just be myself again. It’s been very difficult dealing with it over time, especially when it happens and people start looking at you differently.
There were times when I would just space out for no reason, or have a seizure, and I’d get these strange stares from people. Especially when it happens in public—it’s like people either make fun of you or look down on you.
I’ve lost a good number of jobs because of my condition, and at the time, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. But now that I’m 30 years old, I’ve learned to try my very best to be aware of my condition—and to remember that I’m not alone in going through this.