Last spring, I joined my daughter Journey’s fifth grade class as a volunteer on her field trip. I had the pleasure of watching a classmate approach Journey who was taking photos of a museum exhibit. The classmate suggested she turn off the camera flash; he was concerned that it could trigger one of her seizures. I was overcome with pride and appreciation for the caring, supportive community we have created in partnership with the school administration.
Journey was diagnosed with epilepsy as an infant. As she gets older, her seizures are increasingly more pronounced and difficult to manage. Two years ago, Journey’s classmates became much more aware of and impacted by her seizures. It was important to our family that Journey’s peers not fear Journey or her seizures. We approached the school about educating her classmates to increase their understanding of Journey’s experience and provide them with the tools to help if they saw her have a seizure.
