Over the past year, I have gotten to know the wonderful, inspiring Baylor Brown, who was recently chosen to be an ambassador for the Epilepsy Foundation (EF). The EF is the key organization for spreading awareness and providing information to learn about the condition.
Brown says, “They advocate for laws that will provide an easier lifestyle for people with epilepsy, as well as fundraisers to spread knowledge. Their mission is to spread awareness and understanding to eventually find a cure for epilepsy.”
When asked about her personal experience with the neurological disorder, Brown explained, “I was diagnosed with epilepsy at 11 years old. Out of the over 30 types, I developed absence seizures that became noticeable during quarantine. During this seizure, I am unresponsive and am staring into space.
“I went on many different types of medication until I found one that worked. I went from having five seizures a day to five seizures a week. During the sixth and seventh grade, I had a hard time learning about my seizures and accepting them. The biggest struggle was my symptoms. It felt like I was always sick, and I struggled to find myself while dealing with the burden of epilepsy.
“At the end of my sixth grade year, I was very fortunate to find an epileptologist in New Orleans, and he helped me get my seizures under better control. When I saw this epileptologist, I was also diagnosed with myoclonic seizures. These seizures look like jerks in my arm or neck. They are very quick and are difficult to notice.
“Though I was learning about my triggers and limits and began to take care of myself, I was still desperate to fit in. When I had the opportunity to go on a cross-country beach trip last summer, I decided to go. I made the decision to ignore my triggers and thought that if I ignored the problem, it would go away.
“However, my epilepsy will never go away. I had a very hard time accepting that, so I refused to face the clear problem at hand. At the time, I was not ready to stay up late watching movies and then wake up at 6 a.m. to do a hard workout. I kickstarted every seizure trigger, and it led to me having my first tonic-clonic seizure on the beach in the middle of a sprint workout. I spent the rest of that summer recovering from the seizure, and I learned a hard lesson. I cannot do everything at once.
“My schedule looks different from others, and that’s OK. I cannot ignore my epilepsy or my triggers. At the beginning of eighth grade, I began to learn more about how my epilepsy works and was committed to being seizure-free. After traveling miles and miles to get to multiple doctor’s appointments, lots of missed school, and many medications, I am finally seven months seizure free, and six months is the gold standard to drive. I have learned self-acceptance and to advocate for myself. As a freshman, I have lots to learn, but I am proud of myself for how far I have come.”
When asked what being an EF ambassador means to her, Brown states, “Being an ambassador means the world. A goal that I will always have is to spread awareness and educate people about epilepsy. This opportunity allows me to do that, and I could not be more grateful.”
The Epilepsy Foundation is 50 years old, has trained over 1.6 million people in seizure first aid, and has raised $68 million for its awareness. As of now, there are over 100,000 ambassadors in the United States, and the number continues to rise.
To spread awareness, Brown wishes to educate everyone, going to schools and teaching people the steps to seizure first aid, as well as information about the condition. Officially, one in every 26 people has epilepsy, which is equivalent to 3,846 people out of every 100,000.
We know that Brown will continue to inspire and impact thousands while bringing awareness and educating those who do not know seizure first aid or about the condition. We could not be more proud to have an Epilepsy Foundation ambassador on campus!
To learn more about seizure first aid and the impact of the Epilepsy Foundation, visit www.epilepsy.com.
