Rianna’s Story
My name is Rianna, and I’m 19 years old 🌟
I had my first seizure when I was in grade one. It was Christmas time, and we had a concert that year. However, during the performance, I experienced an absence seizure. This led my parents to watch me closer as the days went on. They ended up taking me to the Hospital, and that’s when I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I learned I had photosensitivity, absence seizures, and a learning disability.
It was a tough time — I missed a lot of school and went through numerous medications as we tried to find what worked best for me. My parents did everything they could to make sure that I would always take my medication, even though I always spat it out.
During elementary school, my epilepsy was really bad. I was having over 100 seizures a day, and it was quite draining. My personality went from 100 to 0 in a matter of weeks. I lost my friends. Nobody knew who I was anymore. I never even raised my hand in class. Once middle school hit, I finally got a Classroom Educational Assistant (CEA) to help me, which made a huge difference in my education and support. Having a CEA helped me feel more confident, especially since I was very shy and kept to myself. It was a struggle to get a CEA, but I’m glad I got one because once I got to middle school, I was in grade 7, sitting at a grade 3 level.
High school was a turning point for me. I started to open up, got my first job, and things began to improve. Although I faced lots of bullying in grade 10. I did my best to ignore it and worked hard with my CEAs to get through it. They became my best friends. I had never felt so safe. They always let me go on walks and take breaks whenever I needed.
Then the time came to apply for my L license. My doctor had always told me I would never be able to drive, but I decided to give it a shot, as this was a written test. To my surprise, I passed on my first try! After a year with my L, I went to the doctor to see if I could get my N license. They ran some tests, and since my epilepsy was low at the time, I was able to go for it — and I passed that on my first try too!
But in January of 2025, life took a turn. I unfortunately got sick. By March of 2025, my body couldn’t work anymore. I lost my license due to an EEG that came back with really strong brain waves. But I didn’t want to let that stop me!
As I’ve been sitting at home, I’ve thought it would be a great idea to share my story. I know that I always loved hearing others’ stories because it made me feel less alone. Without work, I wanted to create something that would help others who are going through similar challenges, so I created an account called PurposefulArtForEpilepsy. It’s still in the works, but I intend to create fun things that others can enjoy while also spreading awareness. It feels good to give back and support those who might be struggling just like me.
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