Julius Caesar.
Napoleon of France.
Harriet Tubman.
Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Bud Abbott of Abbott & Costello.
Prince. Or formerly known as.
Margaux Hemingway.
Neil Young.
Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys.
Florence Griffith Joyner (Flo Jo). She died from asphyxiation after a grand mal seizure while asleep. ::sigh::
Danny Glover.
Susan Boyle.
I suppose it doesn’t really matter that these people are famous.
But the reason I chose to highlight them, was simply to continue to break down the walls surrounding epilepsy.
Having epilepsy doesn’t mean you should be relegated to an insane asylum (as was the case in the 19th century).
Having epilepsy doesn’t mean you are a witch and deserving of being burned at the stake.
Having epilepsy doesn’t mean you have a mental handicap.
Having epilepsy doesn’t mean you cannot live a full, typical life.
Having epilepsy doesn’t mean you cannot follow your dreams.
Having epilepsy can be a lot of things. It comes in many forms. Its severity can range from mild to debilitating.
Having epilepsy can come paired with other diagnosis’ (like in Jill’s case where she also has cerebral palsy).
But having epilepsy does not need to also bring with it Shame.
Because Shame does all of those things.
Epilepsy doesn’t.
Shame forces you into the hiding places.
Epilepsy shouldn’t.
Pave on, my friends.
I cannot wait to watch my girl march along this path.
(There are certainly more famous people with epilepsy, but I pulled the more recognizable names from this list. You can see them all and a little more information on each case HERE.)
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That’s quite a list. I looked at the larger list and saw other names I recognized from shows I watched as a kid. And I noticed that Tiki and Ronde Barber have epilepsy. How common is it for twins to have it? I’m guessing not too common since Lucy doesn’t have it. It’s been teary-eyed fun to watch Jilly’s progress, and like you, I will be excited to see where her dreams lead her. hugs
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Hey, I’m first! haha
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I don’t know if you guys ever watch Sesame Street (or, primarily, the older episodes from the 90s-early 2000s), but Mr. Noodle’s brother Mr. Noodle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jeter) on the Elmo’s World bit has/had epilepsy in real life. Unfortunately, that was also the cause of his death in 2003.
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Well that explains your searching for a Lil Wayne photo!
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I love this post. I just wished you hadn’t included the line about not having a mental handicap. Because there is no shame in that either.
You are absolutely right.
I guess what I was trying to convey was the idea that Epilepsy can be a “stand alone” diagnosis.
Hope that makes more sense!
There is a product that can detected & alert parents/caregiver to someone having a seizure during there Sleep, giving you the peace of mind back into family’s check out the Night Time Movement Monitor at
http://www.a1a-accesssolutions.com or call 561 409 3117