Meeting my epileptic bestie

If you’re up to date on all the blogs here, you’ll know that recently, Sophia (the founder of Milo&Me) got to speak at Capital Hill to raise awareness about epilepsy, including passing the Seizure Safe School Act and getting funding for epilepsy research! A few months before she arrived in DC, she texted me that she had gotten this opportunity, and the first thing I did was book a flight to see her in DC. I live all the way on the opposite side of the country, but I knew the 6-hour flight would be worth the opportunity to support her in person as she became a real-life Elle Woods. I was one of the first people to join Sophia’s support group for teen girls with epilepsy, and we have been super close friends for over a year now. Unfortunately, since we live on opposite sides of the country, we’ve only been able to text message and FaceTime. But after a year of waiting, that finally changed on February 25th. When I tell you this girl tackled me like an NFL superstar, I’m not exaggerating. She full-on launched onto me when we met for the very first time outside her hotel. I’m not big on hugs, but I hugged her like I’ve never hugged anyone else before. I was so ecstatic! During our time together, we visited a cute nearby town where we went into different shops and got coffee together. At this time, I also learned that Sophia walks like a New Yorker (very, very fast). But, anyway, we had late-night conversations in the hotel room every night and had such a good time. Finally, when we headed to the meetings with the US representatives, I was in awe of how gracefully she talked; it was truly inspiring. She knew her stuff! All the people we met were incredibly impressed, and I was so happy I got to sit beside her as moral support (although she didn’t need any because she was perfect). It was the best trip ever, and she’s every bit as amazing in person as she is over the phone. I simply can’t wait to see her again, and I’m so honored I got to be by her side at such a fantastic event!

• Hannah