By Deron Hamel

Volunteering and giving back to her community has always been important to Sierra Spence, so it’s no surprise she plans to pursue a career helping others once she completes her studies.

Sierra lived with seizures from the time she was 10 months old until December 2016, when she underwent brain surgery which partially removed a rare ganglioglioma tumour.

Since her surgery, Sierra has not had any seizures, but it was her experience of living with epilepsy that inspired her to want to help others, she says.

“My life journey with epilepsy has motivated me to always focus on moving forward and helping others to overcome their challenges,” Sierra says.

To give back to her community, Sierra has volunteered with senior citizens, children with special needs and children with disabilities. Sierra has also volunteered at the Niagara Children’s Centre and with the Brock Niagara Penguins, a swimming and gym program for youths and adults with disabilities.

Sierra has also been active in raising epilepsy awareness and has volunteered at Epilepsy Niagara for several years. She has mentored children living with epilepsy and has participated in fundraising events. In high school, Sierra organized epilepsy awareness events and even shared information about first aid for people with seizure disorders.

“These opportunities to work with, learn from and support members of our community have made me realize how strongly each of us can positively impact the lives of others,” she says.

Sierra is currently enrolled in an educational program to provide supports to children with special needs. Eventually, her goal is to work with children who have special needs, she says.

“My experiences living with epilepsy and working with others have motivated me to continue to be actively involved, show initiative and to see the value in taking a leadership role to influence change and make the world a better place for everyone to live in,” she says.

Sierra is one of the recipients of this year’s Osler Epilepsy Scholarship. The $1,500 scholarship, formerly called the OBCL Epilepsy Scholarship, is being offered to six students this year.

Osler Epilepsy Scholarships are awarded each year to exceptional students who have confronted and overcome remarkable barriers in their academic and personal lives due to their epilepsy.

As part of this year’s application process, students submitted a 600- to 900-word essay focused on how they could see themselves helping an epilepsy association or another charitable organization in the future, based on their personal experiences.

By Deron Hamel

Megan Sherwin was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 9. She’s also living with cerebral palsy. But living with these conditions does not control her life. In fact, Megan says she finds herself inspired to show others that she can do anything she wants.

“I have faced many challenges growing up, but that did not stop me from giving up at all,” Megan says.

“The biggest obstacle I think I have had to face is adversity. I’ve always had to show people that even though I have a disability and seizures, I can do anything I set my mind to.”

Megan describes herself as someone who likes to lead by example. At school, she played soccer and basketball. She also took piano lessons and has worked as a summer camp counsellor, a swimming instructor and lifeguard. She has played hockey and is an accomplished para-swimmer who has competed at a national level.

“Although all these achievements may not seem like obstacles, getting to them was,” she says.

“People doubted me when I tried out for teams or started a new activity. They would take a look and say, ‘Why is she here? She won’t be any good.’

“So, I had to push past all the negativity and try out for the things that I wanted to, whether I was any good at them or not. … I believe that because I’ve done all these things, it’s made me the person I am today and the person I want to be in the future.”

Looking ahead, Megan says whichever career path she decides on, she wants to be able to help others and make a difference in people’s lives.

She especially hopes to inspire children living with epilepsy and help them understand that they can accomplish their goals, Megan says.

“My vision is that one day people will forget that they even (have) epilepsy because they are living their best life to the fullest,” she says.

Megan is now in her second year of study in the recreation and sport business program at the University of Waterloo. She is also one of the recipients of this year’s Osler Epilepsy Scholarship. The $1,500 scholarship, formerly called the OBCL Epilepsy Scholarship, is being offered to six students this year.

Osler Epilepsy Scholarships are awarded each year to exceptional students who have confronted and overcome remarkable barriers in their academic and personal lives due to their epilepsy.

As part of this year’s application process, students submitted a 600- to 900-word essay focused on how they could see themselves helping an epilepsy association or another charitable organization in the future, based on their personal experiences.

By Deron Hamel

Alexandra Law says she hopes to one day use the power of film to help people understand what living with epilepsy is like.

Alexandra, who is currently a student in the media fundamentals program at Sheridan College, says that her goal is to become a fiction writer and she also plans to use her writing talents to create a screenplay about living with epilepsy.

“I would like to shed light on a condition that is very misunderstood,” she says. “Many people fear (epilepsy) and think it’s a one-size-fits-all thing or that it’s untreatable.”

Now 19, Alexandra was diagnosed with infantile spasms when she was seven months old. Alexandra says she has multiple seizures every day.

Living with epilepsy has given Alexandra experiences many others will never know, she says. Living with epilepsy also means Alexandra has not experienced things other people have, she adds.

But one thing Alexandra says she wants people to understand is that having epilepsy is not what defines her. She says she hopes that a film about life with epilepsy would raise awareness of how having a seizure disorder does not have to dominate a person’s life.

“It is simply a part of who I am,” she says. “I want to share my story and the stories of others living with epilepsy through film and get the message out there that people live very full lives with epilepsy.”

Alexandra says what drives her to want to make a film about people’s experiences with epilepsy is the care she has received from doctors, who have tried to understand her epilepsy and control her seizures, as well as the family support she has always had.

“This is an important story to be told,” she says, “and I want to be a part of it.”

Alexandra is one of the recipients of this year’s Osler Epilepsy Scholarship. The $1,500 scholarship, formerly called the OBCL Epilepsy Scholarship, is being offered to six students this year.

Osler Epilepsy Scholarships are awarded each year to exceptional students who have confronted and overcome remarkable barriers in their academic and personal lives due to their epilepsy.

As part of this year’s application process, students submitted a 600- to 900-word essay focused on how they could see themselves helping an epilepsy association or another charitable organization in the future, based on their personal experiences.