My name is Mario, I am 63- years-old, married with two children. I was 12 when I had my first seizure while I was sleeping. After the second seizure I was taken to a psychiatrist since, at that time, there were no neurologists in Malta and people with epilepsy were referred to a psychiatrist. I was diagnosed with complex
Opening my eyes I looked down to see my sweater saturated in blood and vomit. I tried to stand up realizing I was in the back of the studio where I worked at nights by myself. Extremely lightheaded, as I stood I gazed into the mirror to see a large gash in my forehead, my
Michael (29) lives in Glasgow, Scotland. Michael was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 16 after having his first seizure on an aircraft shorty before its departure. At that time, Michael’s seizures involved a period of altered awareness, which resulted in a short period unawareness of his behaviour. At the point of diagnosis, Michael
Gillian, (31) lives in Glasgow, Scotland. She was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy aged 14 months. Gillian used to have tonic clonic seizures however these changed over time and her seizures no longer involve a full loss of consciousness. Instead, her awareness is altered; she remains conscious but is unaware of her behaviour. This means
How did I happen to become an epilepsy advocate? It was an irony of fate. With a PhD in cellular and molecular biology, I began my career as a neuroscientist, tackling the potential implications of a certain gene in human epilepsy. Then I obtained a Master’s degree in economics and decided that science management could be a good
At 3 weeks of age McKinzi was diagnosed with Encephalitis HSV1-COLD Sores (someone kissed her), epilepsy, severe brain damage, and more to come. Due to the infection she has severe brain damage. She was admitted to hospital in Forth Worth in March where she spent 21 days. She underwent numerous tests, MRI's, EEG's and was
This is a story of a very special 14-year-old girl from Cyprus, who loves to play and gives hugs to anyone she meets. Her name is Maria-Foteini. She lives in Nicosia with her father Konstantinos Kallimachos, a writer and teacher, and her mother Antigoni Kokkinou Kallimachou, a deputy head school teacher. At four months Maria-Foteini
Epilepsy is part of our routine, just like brushing our teeth or getting ready for school, explains Layla’s Mum, Patricia. It does not determine or dictate our days. Luckily for Layla, she has an epilepsy syndrome that she seems to be growing out of. Nothing stops her; she is smart, funny and fierce. Layla has Panayotopolous Syndrome, or at
Laetitia had her first seizure at 18 months. Complex partial epilepsy was confirmed when she was 3-years-old. School years were difficult and she was unable to obtain any diploma. Drug resistance meant many medication changes and trials, with frequent break out seizures after a few months and varying side effects (fatigue, irritability, psychosis, hallucinations, to name but a few). A
"I needed courage, strength and self-belief to have achieved so much", says Katrin Löhken, a 34-year-old Doctor of Natural Science. She finished her Doctoral Thesis last year in Research Center, Jülich, Germany (in collaboration Aachen Technical University). Having refractory epilepsy has not been any obstacle, but an extra challenge in her studies, which she has
