Stories behind Milo&Me: Leah

Hi! My name is Leah, and I’m currently 16 years old. I attend an arts high school where I study Musical Theater and Piano. Music is one of my greatest passions, and I often use it to share my emotions and express how epilepsy makes me feel in a way words can’t. Epilepsy is an everyday struggle and affects how I feel every minute, even though it may not look like it to others. I have absence seizures, tonic-clonic seizures, as well as focal seizures.

I have had absence seizures since I was as little as 5 years old. However, I didn’t have my first gran-mal seizure until I was 12 years old. Since then, I’ve had many different seizures and have tried many kinds of medications to solve them. Often, I worry about how others view me when I have an absence seizure or make faces due to epilepsy. I fear they may think I’m just weird since I am very closed off about my diagnosis. I am currently working on feeling more comfortable about being an epileptic and speaking out on my experiences.

While epilepsy has had such a negative impact on my life, it’s also had some positive impacts on my life. Having epilepsy has helped me have more empathy for other people and their struggles. It’s also helped me find new friends like the girls at Milo and me!! I love everyone in our group's support, and I feel so welcomed and understood there. This group has helped me overcome some tough times, and I love them all.

Thank you for listening to my story!!