MY lIFE WITH ePILEPSY

Serene Low (Malaysia)

Talented Artist and Volunteer

As a young child Serene suffered from febrile seizures, caused by high fevers, but had outgrown these episodes by age 7. Then, during college holidays at a beach resort, she had a seizure while in the water and was rescued from near drowning. Tests confirmed generalized tonic-clonic seizures.

Her world had crumbled, and she lost all sense of direction in life. She became withdrawn and had suicidal thoughts. She resented hospital appointments and threw away her medication, increasing seizure frequency.

Eventually Serene became tired of wasting her life. At age 19, her friends were at university, and this made her bitter. But it was her fighting spirit that helped her change. Hospital trips became less daunting, and medication was strictly adhered to. A better understanding of epilepsy was made possible by her neurologist, and she learned to accept her condition as an illness that could be well controlled with proper treatment.

She has come a long way since and has now lived with epilepsy for 36 years. A blog: “Serene’s Epilepsy Legacy” was officially formed in 2002. In 2003, it was agreed that Malaysia Society of Epilepsy should form an epilepsy support group and she was appointed its coordinator.

In 2014, one of her fantastic paintings appeared in the book titled “Epilepsy - Perception, Imagination and Change.” She is a self-taught artist, and her art has been selected for exhibitions. She enjoys writing and is a passionate fundraiser and community worker for groups including National Kidney Foundation, Salvation Army, and World Wildlife Fund.

One philosophy that she holds dear is a quote from one of her poems: “Be joyful in hope and patient in suffering. Life with epilepsy is not without hope. Joyous hope comes about when we strive for positive change”.