Bdawg

The Epilepsy Journey of Brett Petersons

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This is my families story of how we have been impacted by Epilepsy.

My diagnosis came from a traumatic birth where my father was left in the birthing ward i was rushed one way my mother the other way.

I had my first seizure as a baby which scared my mum as this was the first seizure she witnessed me have. This resulted in a documentary into making a suitable Car Bed for me that would prevent me falling out of bed.

From my early childhood I've been taking medication as a measure to control my seizures and once a week i would be getting regular blood test which as a child i was scared of needles so my mum would have to hug me while they test my medication levels.

I remember a situation from my childhood days where my mother told me not to look out the window because of the flashing blue security light. Though as a child you knew better so you wouldn't listen to your mum so i looked out the window which resulted in Tonic Clonic Seizure.

Going through my teenage years is when i found energy drinks and coffee this would result me in experiencing a Tonic Clonic Seizure at my Aunties place while my mum was away at a Women Conference.

Now at the age of 27 i have experienced more Focal Seizures as a result of too much caffeine, lack of sleep and stress though i also had a Nocturnal seizure once while trying to sleep. 27 years of living with Epilepsy comes with 27 years of overcoming stigma like you can't operate a check out to you can't take care of children by yourself because of your Epilepsy.

When i finally found out about Epilepsy Queensland Inc from a call center calling around for Make March Purple my family had been on the journey with me for a good 19 years. Once they connected me into the holiday programs and e-connect groups i found their were more people in my situation which helped me understand i wasn't alone and that i had a new adoptive family Epilepsy Queensland Inc now i wouldn't know what to do without them.

Please read on to see how Epilepsy has impacted our worldwide community....

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions affecting 50 million people worldwide

Every week in Australia, 280 people are diagnosed with epilepsy and sadly 5 Australians will die from epilepsy each week.

I am raising funds to ensure Queenslanders with epilepsy have access to the support, training, and information they need to live well with epilepsy.

With access to the right treatment around 70% of people with epilepsy can gain control over their seizures