Over 600 Glassboro High school students took a stand against their fears and epilepsy!

Hi! To those of you who do not know much about me, I was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2010. I have been battling with it for 5 years now. Until this past year I let the disease control me, as if it had the power to. In the description of this blog, along with epilepsy brings fear. The fears I had due to this disease held me back from a lot of things such as, living a normal "teenage life". 

Many are not aware of what effects epilepsy can have in ones life. Epilepsy is a disease that gives you seizures through other aspects in your life. Those aspects include, sleep deprivation, dehydration, strobe lights, exhaustion, diet, etc. As a teenager, trying to get through high school without those is a very hard task to overcome. I began to fear everything I did would cause a seizure. The worst effect it has had on me is waking up after the seizure was over, still not comprehending what has happened.
 

The stages then would occur: The first stage I go through is thinking I'm dying and there's not much more to my life.  I have to be convinced to believe that I am not dying. Unbearable pain goes throughout my body which is what makes me believe that. My neurologist told my family and I that the reason this happens is because your muscles tighten up while you are seizing. Another reason is because you could be banging your body against a surface during it, which causes pain after the fact that it has happened. 

The second stage : ALL of my fears.

One would be that many people saw me have a seizure and then the embarrassment of it would come. I would then fear that I would not be able to do the next event I had planned or that I had a concussion and would have to miss school work. Then the last is fearing that I am a burden to those around me who have taken care of me during it and what I have interrupted them from doing because of my condition. This was all based around fears and being alone. 

So this year, I made a vow to not only myself but to God that I will use my battles, fears and difficulties that I go through in life to help others. I will also use them to show that they are not alone. By doing this, I created a movement! That is, Fearless Movement. Fear is what holds you back from doing amazing things. I went to my principal a week before November and asked her if I could do a month full of events with the students of Glassboro High to promote Epilepsy Awareness. I shared my plans and what I will continue to do through Fearless Movement. She was extremely intrigued and could not wait to start this month together. We held two assemblies before November to share about Epilepsy Awareness Month and what events would go on! My classmates were more than helpful to create such awareness. 

On November 3rd 2014 , over 600 students of Glassboro High wrote down something they fear in life. They were choosing to drop their fear and gain courage to overcome it so nothing was holding them back anymore! They were also showing that we are NOT alone in our fears. These are constant battles we fight within ourselves every day, yet we are overcoming them TOGETHER. I am so proud of my high school for the change and impact they have made on each other. They were in unity of overcoming their fears. 

You can help make a change! If you have any social media, I challenge you to gain courage by typing what you fear that's holding you back in life. By sharing that, you will be dropping your fear! {Drop fear, Gain courage} After doing so, before you make your post, hashtag #FearlessMovement whether that is on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook! YOU will be making a change not only in the lives that battle with epilepsy but in YOUR life by being ready for ANYTHING the world throws your way. Continue to be updated on my blog to see what else Fearless Movement has done throughout the month of November and also RIGHT NOW! You can be in on the change. 

"Let the struggles of your life yesterday, be the blessing of someone's life today."