Epilepsy Groups in Puebla, Tres Valles (Veracruz), Yucatan and possibly Nicaragua!

Hi everyone,

These past two weeks have been very busy and very exciting. Last week, I had 11 meetings with different people who want to help with the group and have new ideas. Then on Saturday, I presented in another school on Epilepsy and Psychology and then we had an event in downtown Puebla. We were passing out brochures regarding the schedule of the monthly conferences for 2014 and the topics we will present on. I will be presenting on January 25th regarding: "What is Epilepsy? A patient's perspective with life experience".

This week, I met with a woman who is going to put me in contact with 25 different people who can possibly set us up to present in different places. This woman is very good at networking and wants me to train her in giving presentations so we can continue this program when I am no longer in Mexico.

Also this week, I was contacted by the Northeast Regional Epilepsy Group, which is located in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. They are very interested in what I've been doing down here and asked me to write a blog/article in Spanish. They have a Facebook page that centers on Latin America and has 22,000 members and they wrote about us in their group.

Our group (Grupo de Autoayuda Epilepsia) now has three groups, Puebla, Tres Valles (Veracruz), and the Yucatan. We have a logo for our group, three different Facebook pages, and we all act as a team.

Below is a copy of the blog article that I sent to the Northeast Regional Epilepsy Group. Thank you everyone for your encouragement and support!

The first time someone is diagnosed with epilepsy, it very common to ask oneself, “why me? Why do I have to go through this? Why can’t I simply be normal?” It’s interesting to ponder on the moments when we find ourselves asking these questions. Most of the time, these questions come up from fear that other people won’t understand. But, it is important to remember that there is a reason every person is different, and therefore, we can use our differences to learn and teach other people.

            Throughout my life, I have always looked at epilepsy as an adventure; as the factor that simply makes me special. I have had different types of seizures throughout my life which have caused memory loss and have resulted in brain surgery. But through all those experiences, I have received so much support and have learned that there are ways in which we can support each other.

            In March 2013, I came to Puebla, Mexico with the intention of staying for two months in order to embrace the culture and improve my Spanish capabilities. By May, I had met various wonderful people and decided to stay for a longer period of time. However, if I was going to stay for the summer, that meant that I wasn't going to be able to attend an epilepsy event that was going to take place in various cities within the United States that summer. That’s when I thought to myself, “Why can’t we create something like that here in Puebla? That was the beginning of Grupo de Autoayuda Epilepsia Puebla.

            On June 15^th of that year, our group had our first monthly conference focusing on what epilepsy is and how to help someone who is having seizures. Afterward, we went to a park where we distributed 200 brochures about the group. At the end of the day, a woman came to our table asking about our group. When I began to explain, I saw that she had tears in her eyes. She told me that her son had been diagnosed with epilepsy a long time ago and they had never met anyone else with this condition. She hugged me and asked how she could help with the group.

            Since that time, the group has had three events, eight monthly meetings of different themes related to epilepsy, one conference, and we have given around forty presentations in different schools and businesses. We have also been able to create two more groups in Tres Valles, Veracruz and the state of Yucatán. It is also possible that we may create a group in Nicaragua. We are always looking for more opportunities to help others. The intention of this group is to let people with epilepsy know that they are not alone. This medical condition can occur at any time in one’s life and therefore, it is always helpful to learn more. Although we are in the beginning of forming these groups, we already have a lot people on our team and are looking forward to the positive impacts that will be taking place in the future for those with epilepsy.