Turning pain into purpose: Cassie's story

_“I had my first seizure when I was in grade 12. I was on this big trip to Europe I’d been so excited for and then I woke up one morning and it just happened. It was a doctor in Greece who explained to me that I had epilepsy.

I was seizure-free for four years after that, hoping it had just been a one-off thing. But the seizures returned, and they came with force. I started having them back to back to back. But only ever in the mornings. To this day, every morning is a time of danger for me. I actually wear a helmet in the mornings, in case I seize and fall. I live on my own and I’ve hit my head so many times. At this point I’m up to six concussions.

I’m 26 years old and I literally text my mom every morning to let her know when I’m getting in and out of the shower. Because if she doesn’t hear from me, I could be lying unconscious on the bathroom floor. Even when my medication is working and I’m able to go months without a seizure, the possibility of one coming out of nowhere still has a huge impact on my life.

Then, because epilepsy isn’t enough, one day while working out I noticed a weird bald spot on the back of my head. I brought it up with my doctor and he was like, yeah, looks like you might have alopecia too. Despite trying creams and steroid injections, over the course of about six months I lost all my hair. It’s funny though, it didn’t really bother me nearly as much as I expected. Especially in the context of my epilepsy, it’s just always seemed like I had bigger fish to fry.

I know a lot of people who do struggle quite badly with alopecia, though, especially young girls. And so I try to use my own story to advocate and empower. I’ve also gotten involved in groups for young girls who are going through chemotherapy and I feel like my ability to show them how happy I can be without hair is almost a superpower. And I get to wear all these beautiful wigs.

I sit on my bed in my helmet every morning waiting for a seizure. If I make it to noon, I know I’m in the clear. That’s when I get to take off my helmet and put on my wig and let my day truly begin.”