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 five 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 tried many 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 worry 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 negatively impacted my life, it’s also had some positive impacts on my life. Having epilepsy has helped me empathize more with other people and their struggles. It’s also helped me find new friends like the girls at milo and me!! I love how supportive everyone is in our group, 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!!