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I started having seizures when I was 6 months old. I would find out almost thirty years later it was due to a lesion in my left temporal lobe. I grew up in a small town. Throughout high school and college, I battled the stigma that comes with epilepsy. Many people thought my seizures meant I was “haunted” or “evil." Luckily, my class in school was a small class of 34 students who banded together around me and supported me through the hard times. I also had a very supportive high school principal and agricultural sciences teacher.

Later, with my wife and family’s support, I moved to the city for public transportation and to advance my career. Initially, I lost or was denied jobs due to my epilepsy. While I was there, I found a new group of doctors who discovered the cause of my seizures and treated them. My seizures resolved with brain surgery in 2017. Despite the challenges I faced, my work experience in a metropolitan area led me to interact with a lot more people who experienced seizures. I began advocating for them and their care at times with other medical providers. I even worked with a few agencies to do classes regarding epilepsy for their staff.

Now, I am back in the small towns of East Texas and using my experiences and position as a flight paramedic to advocate for people with epilepsy. I look forward every day to using my experience to help those who need it whether it’s a younger person, adult, or parent of a child with epilepsy. I advocate on behalf of people with epilepsy and their families and help them gain access to resources and care since it’s not readily available where we live. I also help them recognize and overcome the stigma associated with epilepsy.

I look forward to my job every day knowing I can help make a difference in someone’s life as many others did for me. For example, the Epilepsy Foundation in Houston helped me find an epileptologist as well as a neurosurgeon to handle my care.

I want to continue to help motivate others with seizures to keep reaching their goals. I believe the right people will show up at the right time to support you on your journey. I constantly tell people I work with: we never give up and we never give in. Sometimes we may lose, but we fight until we win. I do what I can to raise awareness and support people with epilepsy. I’ve been to the Epilepsy Walk in Houston once and am looking forward to the Walk in Tyler this November.

More than anything, I don't want people to give up on their battle with epilepsy. I don't want them to feel alone in their experiences. Sometimes you or your family may feel hopeless with certain treatments, especially if they are ineffective at controlling seizures. I encourage people to advocate for themselves and one another. Keep searching for answers.