Adversity is the mother of progress.
~Mahatma Gandhi
In life we face challenges that can be EXTREMELY hard. We have to sit down and decide if it is worth the pain and heartache to have the end result. I was recently asked to attend a meeting at a school for a student that has epilepsy. This young man is trying to navigate life living with epilepsy and the comorbidities that go along with it. As I watched this young, well spoken man tell of what he deals with on a daily basis, I was moved with emotion. Not only is he trying to change this for himself, but also other students that live with epilepsy. He wants to make sure that no one else will ever have to battle a school system like he is doing . Children with epilepsy have so many things to deal with and the educational system should support them not discourage them! This pain and heartache is not something that this young man has asked for. Like myself and so many others, he didn’t choose to have epilepsy.
He is choosing to be an overcomer! He is choosing to fight this battle head on. Will this be easy? ABSOLUTELY NOT! He is choosing to fight through the pain and heartache. I would encourage each parent with a child with epilepsy or young person out there living with epilepsy to stand up and fight. Fight against the stigma and ignorance that so plagues this world. Whether it is in the workplace or school setting, help us educate the world on epilepsy. Educate them not only on the seizures but also the comorbidities that go along with epilepsy. Our voices cannot be silenced any longer. If we prevent one student or worker from being discriminated against than we have accomplished so much! We have many hard roads ahead to navigate but when we look back on our journey we will see that we have made the road easier for others to navigate. Educating the work place and the educational system on epilepsy is a MUST!
Think of this young man that is fighting for EVERY student living with epilepsy. I am encouraging him each day and look forward to the day when he will share his journey with each of you.
There can be no rainbow without a cloud and a storm.
~J.H. Vincent
Storms can be hard but seeing that beautiful rainbow is so worth the storm! I look forward to seeing the rainbows over the next year, 6 years, 16 years, 26 years and beyond.
Photo by Pete Hunt.
