Purple Day

Social Distancing measures in the face of the COVID-19 threat forced us to cancel our public Purple Day events. Instead, we did a live version of My Journey, which we streamed on social media. Our guests included Epilepsy Tasmania CEO Wendy Groot, Neuroscientist Lila Landowski, Dr Tim Jackson from …

Hannah

Hannah is a second-year medical student who faces her own medical mystery. A few years ago, she started having uncontrollable and unexpected convulsions which, to most people with any experience of it, appeared to be epileptic seizures. But doctors say she doesn't fit the criteria to be someone aff…

Jenni

After noticing a student having a seizure during a lunch break, Jenni, a teachers assistant, has played a leading role in making sure all teachers were trained in epilepsy first aid. Her story and her experience with seizures are not just from her work. A few year's ago, Jenni's daughter, Hannah, s…

Glenda

Glenda is the devoted grandmother of seven year old Laila. She was there for her birth and has played a crucial part in her life, despite the fact that they live on opposite sides of the country. Laia was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was 9-months-old and later with Dravet Sydnrome, a severe fo…

Jules

Jules has been affected by epilepsy since she was a kid and it's just been part of her life for as long as she can remember and she thought he daughter Annabelle would have the same experience. But Jules and her family were devastated when she lost her daughter to SUDEP. SUDEP is the sudden, unexpe…

Derek

Derek had his first seizure at the age of 60 and was diagnosed with epilepsy shortly after. He's a man who loves the outdoors and competed in shooting and fly fishing. But since he started having seizures he has had to find enjoyment in the simple things. Derek says stress can bring on a seizure s…

Riley and Maria

Riley left school wanting to achieve one thing, to join the military. Since he was a child, he wanted to serve his country and did everything possible to make sure that when old enough, he could achieve his dream. But things didn't go to plan. The first hurdle came when he found out he was colour b…

Daniel

Daniel is a father whose seizures were becoming so frequent they were affecting his ability to care for his young daughter. He made the tough decision to have brain surgery, knowing that there was a chance it wouldn't work. Daniel started having seizures as a child, and by the time he was in high …

Amy

Amy is a career-driven, ambitious woman. She was diagnosed with epilepsy 15 years ago but initially refused to believe it. She spent the next decade and a half keeping the condition as secret as possible, telling only the people closest to her and her employer. The stigma surrounding epilepsy was a…

Lila

Dr Lila Landowski is a neurologist with the Menzies Research Institute, and she has a knack for explaining very complicated neurological mechanisms in a way that everyone can understand. In this episode, she takes us through exactly what epilepsy is and why it can have such a profound impact on so…