My name is Lydia Kinowski-Don and I was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 7. Since then, I have been through and dealt with so much in relation to my condition. I experienced many of the typical problems in school, with peers, with many different doctors and of course in healthcare. I have a broad range of personal experience, good and bad, relating to my epilepsy. I am now 20 and have overcome so many of the things I thought would forever hold me back and would love to help others feel confident and do the same despite their condition. 

My battle with epilepsy has often been quite lonely, therefore I wanted to take part in this programme to help support young people who are going through the similar things that I experienced. Alleviating the uncertainties and worries of the people who are now in my previous position is very important to me and something that I am very passionate about. There are so many things that doctors do not/ will not tell their patients. I feel that I am now able to answer a lot of the questions surrounding navigating and accepting epilepsy in the long term and give advice on how to cope with it in tricky situations e.g. school, social events and familial misunderstandings.