Courtney Tobin’s life changed forever on May 19, 2012. It was the day her 23-year-old sister, Chelsea, passed away from sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). It was just before Chelsea was to graduate with a master’s degree from the State University of New York at Potsdam.
While Courtney, a Kingston, Ont. native, says the impact of Chelsea’s death will never leave her, she is determined to carry on her older sister’s memory. Courtney, who is also living with a seizure disorder, has become an advocate for epilepsy awareness.
“I have made it my mission to inform and educate as many (people) as I can about epilepsy and what they may be able to do to help,” Courtney says.
She adds that her sister’s legacy continues to drive her to overcome any challenges she faces as well as push her to new heights.
“Even now, so long after, it seems surreal at times; an event in my lifetime that will stay at the forefront of my mind forever,” Courtney says of Chelsea’s death. “That morning stands apart from all else, before or since, and I feel that I owe it to my amazing sister to continue to fight through the troubles I may face.”
Courtney, 23, is a recipient of an OBCL scholarship. Chelsea also received an OBCL scholarship in 2006, the first year the accolades were awarded. Every year, up to 10 Ontario students win a $1,000 scholarship from OBCL for post-secondary education.
This past spring, Courtney completed the pre-health sciences certificate course at St. Lawrence College. She is using her scholarship to help finance the program she’s taking at the college to become a medical laboratory technician.
Like other students living with epilepsy who have received an OBCL scholarship this year, Courtney is not letting her condition dominate her life.
“Epilepsy is part of who I am, but it is not what defines me,” she says. “I will remember the day that Chelsea left for now and for always, and continue to try to use the emotions that I continue to feel strongly even now as a means of self-reflection and growth.”
Writer: Deron Hamel
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