Epilepsy is a condition that is misunderstood and misdiagnosed so often. As I was in the library one day, I was wearing my "Epilepsy Volunteer T-shirt". When I walked by a young man he smiled at me and as I was going back to my seat his mother stopped me. She asked me about my T-shirt and I informed her that I developed epilepsy from a fall in college and that I had come back from the National Epilepsy Convention.
This lady, Ms Oliver then told me of her son not wanting to go back to school or church because of the "peer pressure" he was receiving because of it. I asked could I speak to him and she said, "Please".
Her son was 13 yrs old and I shared with him how I had epilepsy. I also informed him of famous people having epilepsy like Pres. Roosevelt, Danny Glover, Thomas Edison, and others. He was shocked! I then gave him a copy of my novel "The Village" and some T-shirts. This happened the last school year.
Today, October 11, 2012 I received a call from Ms Oliver telling me she is going to contact the "Anderson Cooper Show" and share that since we had talked this year she decided to give her son more freedom with his classes. He is now making A's in some classes and they are doing great! They could not get into the studio at CNN.
The mother had to call me and inform me of the change! She said, "Lowell, that day we met you in the library out of nowhere really made a difference in his life!"
November is "National Epilepsy Awareness Month" . The president of Messenger Films, Mr. Cristobal Krusen came last month to share with a number of people how he read the novel and feel it has the potential to be movie.
With Muscular Dystrophy, MS, Parkinson's, and Cerebral Palsy, the four (4) of these conditions together do not out number the amount of people who have Epilepsy! There are over 3 million individuals with epilepsy in the US and 50 million in the world.
The family from Va.Beach at CNN last year outside of the studio.
