I'm fundraising for...
1 in 25 Australians will be diagnosed with epilepsy in their lifetime.
I am one of many taking on Townsville's 2.5km Walk for Epilepsy, raising funds and awareness to ensure people affected by epilepsy in north Queensland have access to the support, training, and information they need to live well with epilepsy.
My Updates
My story
Thursday 15th SepI started having seizures when I was 7. I was officially diagnosed at 10 when the doctors found a growth on my brain. It is called a cortical dysplasia.
My seizures are focal aware.
I had a biopsy when I was 10 and the growth was non-malignant.
My seizures continued throughout my life spiking to at least 30 per day at different ages requiring long hospital admissions, brain surgeries (aged 10, 12 and 15) and rehabilitation. The growth was in my motor function area so each time I had surgery I had to learn how to use my whole right side.
This robbed me of a normal childhood.
The last time (aged 20) did not go well and I was put into an induced coma.
As a result of everything I developed psychosis and an acquired brain injury. I endured many horrible and traumatic experiences during my psychosis, rehabilitation and a lengthy stay in an Aquired brain injury unit.
It still affects me mentally every day.
In April the VNS implant was put in. I am now 32 and I continue to have seizures every day so I am unable to work. They are fairly well controlled however still daily.
I have the NDIS eight hours per day support. I am walking to create awareness of the struggles that we and our loved ones.
One of my amazing support workers passed away from SUDEP so I will also be walking for her.
Natalie's fundraising from her National Walk for Epilepsy page