Emma, 16, UK

I first came into contact with epilepsy at the age of 10 when the person standing next to me on the tram collapsed. I remember him shaking, but most of what I remember is being terrified and confused. The tram was pretty full but no one knew what to do. The tram was stopped but everyone just stood around the poor man watching him in stunned silence.

He came around when the tram got to the next stop and ran off, repeating that he was fine. I had no idea what was going on at the time but even then it didn't seem right that the man should be really embarrassed and that no one on the tram could offer to help in any way.

The second time I saw a seizure was on a school bus at the age of 12 on the way back from a ski trip. There was a scream from the back of the bus and I turned around just quick enough to see a girl's eyes roll into the back of her head and her arms start to shake. The paramedics were called but before they arrived, as before, there was a terrified silence as nobody knew what to do, with the friend sobbing and screaming the girl’s name the only sound.

Recently I undertook a week of work experience at a hospital and spent a morning in the neurology clinic. I met a lot of patients with very severe epilepsy, and though some also had other conditions it opened my eyes to the impact of epilepsy on people's lives. I was shown a patient’s seizure record and drug record and told about SUDEP and was shocked at the extent of my ignorance.

The patients/carers/family were extremely open and some took the time to explain how to handle a seizure - showing they knew that there is an extreme lack of awareness.

Not long later at school a friend confided in me and a couple of others that she had had a seizure in the holidays and was now having tests at the hospital to find out why. Again we were all stunned and an awkward silence fell when we couldn't find the words to comfort her or express our sorrow. That was when I finally understood the extent of the stigma surrounding seizures and epilepsy.

I also realized that seizures could happen to anyone at any time. I therefore want to get involved in epilepsy awareness, and have set up a Twitter account to educate both myself and others about the conditions, as well as increase awareness. I am also doing my EPQ at school about epilepsy and the impact on people's lives, and hope to use this to raise awareness about it at school.

- January 16th, 2016

Contact info:

Twitter: @talkepilepsy