Advancing Epilepsy Awareness in Arizona

I was diagnosed with a seizure disorder before I was even born. There’s a scary story behind that, and after I arrived, it was followed by countless invasive overnight stays and day trips to the hospital. There were scans, medications, pokes, prods, and constant consultations about the lesions on my brain. I experienced many of the hardest parts of my diagnosis—and the side effects of the medications—before I was even old enough to form memories. In a way, I think it's a blessing that I don’t remember. 

When I was two, my parents decided to move to another country so I could receive better treatment. After many long months, it worked. At almost 3 years old, I underwent a non-invasive treatment that changed my life, and I stopped taking anti-seizure medication. While there are no guarantees, and we are always cautious of seizures, I have been seizure-free since then. I thank science, my doctors, and my family every day for finding the treatment for my specific brain lesions. I feel profoundly lucky.

Maybe I overcompensate for living with epilepsy, or maybe my brain is just different, or perhaps it’s a bit of both. With all the focus on my safety and the weight of my newfound “freedom” from seizures, it’s no surprise that, at age four, I fell in love with the rope ladders and the unfettered twists and rolls of gymnastics at a birthday party. I joined the gymnastics team and have been flying and flipping through the air ever since. I have been on the state team several times and competed nationally. Last summer, right after I turned 15, I progressed to Level 10, the highest level of men’s competitive gymnastics before college.

This spring, I participated in the 2025 Epilepsy Foundation Teen Speak Up! event in Washington, D.C. As an introvert who had never shared my seizure story, I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect, but the Arizona Epilepsy Foundation and Executive Director, Brittany Miller, connected with us before the event and shepherded my family on the trip to D.C. All the adults who helped us find and refine the words to speak about our journeys were amazing. 

We met with staff from many of our representatives’ offices to advocate for critical improvements in epilepsy awareness, training, and access to treatment. But what stood out most to me was meeting other teens who, like me, have personal stories connected to epilepsy. I’m excited to continue this advocacy work here in Southern Arizona by helping train teachers at my school, partnering with the Arizona Epilepsy Foundation to bring an Epilepsy Walk to Tucson, and meeting with local representatives to keep pushing our mission forward.