Children’s Day Special 1 – Epilepsy

On a calm Wednesday evening. In the process of helping my Mum pack after a stressful business day, an incident occurred. A lady who was working as a salesperson to my mum’s neighbour is EPILEPTIC and at that moment had a SEIZURE. In a twinkle of an eye, people around the Lady isolated themselves from the Lady because it has been stereotyped by them that epilepsy is contagious which is factually a lie. The customers she was attending to at that moment took to their heels as if they had seen a ghost. 

Only a man who was passing by the shop dared to help her get up. Instead of him being encouraged and applauded rather, people took him for a fool because he helped the lady up.

This incident became the topic of the night. Just before she regained consciousness, people around had started lamenting that once her employer gets back, they will advise her to seize the lady from working for her. Later on, I heard that the epileptic patient had been sacked and I verified the information from my mother who is her next-door neighbour. 

Whenever she passes by, people keep pointing at her, talking about all sorts of negative things that can if she lets it reduce her self-esteem. Such as, she can never get a job, no wonder she isn’t married, no wonder she has no friends. Sometimes she hears them but pretends like she didn’t and walks hastily. 

Anytime I witness this, the what-ifs questions pop into my head. Which is, what if they are sensitised? What if they understand? what if they were in her shoes? What if they knew better? These are the questions that urged me to write an article on the stereotype, ostracization and stigmatization of people living with epilepsy.

Every 27th of May children all over the world are being commemorated. A day when children are expected to feel their best, be happy all day. Instead, some children are suffering just because they are epileptic. They are being stigmatised for what they have no control over. Epilepsy related stigma stems from a misunderstanding of medical fact such as”Epilepsy is contagious which is medically untrue. The only thing I could make of it is that people act based on what they know. If they understood better, they will live better.

As people of God, what difference do we make in such situations? These are things that things the Holy Spirit teaches us when we study the word of God. In the book of Galatians 1vs 16, it states in God’s Word that”Christ is revealed in me”. We have to ask ourselves, is Christ being revealed in the way I have been treating people? What will Christ have done in such a situation? Will He embrace such in love or just make a person feel inferior of who they are? These questions have been answered in the Bible.

Firstly, in the book of 1corritians 2vs13, it states in God’s Word that”I speak the only what the Holy Spirit teaches me…” The Holy Spirit is not teaching me to say words to a person to make him|her feel less of who they are. Rather the Holy Spirit is teaching me that “my words are gracious and they are seasoned with salt…” ( Colossians 4vs5) Therefore I am not going to say things that contradict what I have been taught.

Secondly, Let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God’s love for us).1 Corinthians 16:14 AMPC.https://bible.com/bible/8/1co.16.14.AMPC. We have been instructed here to do all things in love. what is love? (Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its rights or its way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬8 AMPChttps://bible.com/bible/8/1co.13.4-8.AMPC.) We do all things in what is stated above. Ostracizing, stereotyping, and stigmatizing people because they are “epileptic” is not doing this things.

Also, strongly believe that to put an end to the”stereotype, stigmatisation and ostracization ” of people living with epilepsy it has to start from a person and it doesn’t end there. It goes beyond the person, being an example to people around you ( And you must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Titus 2:7 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/tit.2.7.NLT), people in higher authority ought to educate the facts to people looking up to them. to completely put an end to the misinformation that has led to the loss of lives of promising people. (Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/pro.22.6.NLT).