My wonderful daughter has has severe developmental delay and epilepsy.

Because of the NightWatch; we can finally get enough sleep. The positive impact on our quality of lives is huge.

Epilepsy is a serious problem in Afghanistan. Not only does the person suffer from epilepsy, but they also suffer from the fact that society refuses to accept them. Society calls them as crazy or mad. Even the family members don’t cooperate or want to take them to doctors. I have co-founded this organization to raise awareness about epilepsy and to introduce ways to prevent or decrease seizures.

It’s been 9 years since I have been seizure free, but I never had the courage to share with the world until I learned how resilient is my brain. In traditional cultures, having a disability is like a scar and people would still continue discriminate you even if you do not have that disability. Unlike western countries, I was raised in India and got brain damage when I was 7 months.

It all began with my diagnosis years ago. By the age of 6, I had experienced tonic-clonic seizures and seeing a neurologist whilst in Russia is when I finally had the condition confirmed. For seven years, I was constantly monitored and although I was on medication, the seizures kept on. 

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterised by spontaneous recurrent seizures, affecting up to 65-75 million people worldwide. While genetic epilepsies usually involve an identifiable mutation or mutations within crucial neuronal genes, acquired epilepsies including temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) usually involve numerous hallmark pathologies which are then thought to give rise to the development of recurrent spontaneous seizures.

In Kenya, we have a high rate of epilepsy: 1.82% / 800,000 - 1 million people, with only 20% on AEDs. A woman was made homeless by her sister because she had epilepsy. Her sister believed she was possessed by demons or was a result of witchcraft. The morning after she was thrown out, at 5am, a stranger found the woman outside having seizures…

I knew that some people died from epileptic seizures and from accidents that occurred as a result of them (I’d had plenty myself and luckily I’m still here!). This year I found out about SUDEP Action and their award-winning, free app: EpSmon (Epilepsy Self Monitoring).

With BrainPost, we hope that everyone can learn more about the scientific process and stay up-to-date with the latest neuroscience findings. It's exciting to know that the research I publish can help make a difference in the lives of those living with neurological conditions, like epilepsy.

Seizure freedom is a funny thing, from the moment you are told by your doctor “you have epilepsy“ it becomes the ultimate goal. But what does seizure freedom really feel like? Is it the ultimate goal? Does life just return to normal? I hate to shatter the dream but unfortunately, it’s not quite that easy.

8th December, 6 am: I enter a house on which I am working and plummet 7metres down an open and unguarded stairwell. I land on my head with no safety helmet to cushion the fall. I’m comatose for three weeks, have a severe brain injury and life has changed in that blink of an eye. Hello, epilepsy.

We need to face facts. Children are affected by neurological disorders like epilepsy, either as those with the diagnosis, those trying to support someone, or those who witness seizures. It’s not accurate to tell them that they, or their loved ones, are “sick”.

Epilepsy seems like a pretty straightforward diagnosis to make. If you have seizures, basically you have epilepsy, right?

Wrong.

It turns out, there are very specific criteria that have been provided by internationally recognized and peer-reviewed collaborations