Purple Courage

One of my best friends has been faced with a really difficult obstacle in her life that's affected everything from schooling to inability to attend haunted houses. Everyday when she walks through the door of our apartment I hope I don't have to hear, "I had another seizure."
Most people don't know about or understand her condition but I think they should. Unfortunately she's experienced some pretty brutal bullying from ignorant girls that think this is a joke. It's not.

For my Writing for the Public Media class, I had to pick a person to write a feature profile on. I couldn't think of a better person. Mia is inspiring. A lot of strangers and friends think that we're gay together because of our tendency to hold hands or post love notes on each other's facebook. But, we know that we're just exceptionally close because we're the friends that constantly give each other strength. Seeing her battle through this helps me wake up everyday and be ready to conquer any road block.

If there's anything that someone can learn from reading this, it's that you cannot possibly understand what problems somebody has by just looking at them. The best way to handle any person is to just be kind.

Purple Courage

             I was admiring the weak colors barely sewn together with green florescent thread when I glanced down at my cracked phone to see an alarming text message that sent me into a panic. Scrambling to untie the size six-and-a-half, worn out shoes, those three daunting words, “I need you,” repeated over and over in my head. The simple task of returning the ratty bowling apparel for that $5 deposit became incredibly difficult. The cute kids running around were now an obstacle course, the antique smell became nauseating and the expected hug and goodbyes were no longer important.

            Mia Paolino, my roommate, suffers from partial complex seizures that result from the temporal lobe. On October 19^th, 2012, Mia went into mental “dreamlike” state while visiting her friend. Following the seizure and slow revival to normalcy, she was able to record her few thoughts and images of what happened. “I remember Justin, I remember being on his bed and thrashing around. I see the TV in front of me. Cameron Diaz is wearing pink.”
            Mia’s most recent doctor wasn’t available for an interview but suggested the Epilepsy Foundation website for information concerning Mia’s specific case. The website provides an explanation for how her description of the seizure is structured, “A person may even be able to speak, but the words are unlikely to make sense and he or she will not be able to respond to others in an appropriate way.” Mia’s short portrayal of the choppy images that she recalls from the TBS feature movie, “No Strings Attached,” is one of the few flashing moments that she can recall from the night.
            When a person experiences a seizure they drift into an altered state of consciousness. Visibly, it appears as if they are dreaming or in a trance. While talking to Mia about what he remembers from the night, her friend stated that, “It looked like you fell asleep with your eyes open.” Her response to his observation surprisingly was dripping with relief. The anxiety of what abnormal, embarrassing or dangerous actions her seizures might induce consumes her mind daily.
            “Basically at any point in time I'm technically at risk to have one. So, I always have to be careful, because people get them for the most trivial of reasons like, flashing lights, certain foods, stress, hunger, sleep deprivation, etc.”     Even walking down Main St. to get classes proves to be a tricky task at times. As she hears the first trace of the screaming sirens approaching her back, Mia ducks into my shoulder, closes her eyes, and hums an A-flat note until the fire truck or police cars have turned the corner. Her case can commonly and more simply be associated with epilepsy, meaning any sort of flashing light can prompt a seizure. 
            She solemnly explains, “The hardest part is the fact that we haven’t figured out what causes it.” Having seen numerous doctors, Mia and her family have fought through a path of unanswered questions and confusion. The love, support and unending concern stemming from 25 Sugarbush Lane, “home”, is Mia’s greatest safety net.
            She’s grateful for her parents’ unconditional care while trying to help her through the difficult process of identifying her problem. “They go to every appointment. They'll schedule any recommended test even if they disagree. They've asked all their friends who've dealt with similar issues what to do. I mean, they cancelled their move to China because of me.”
            Siri Paolino, Mia’s mom, comments that being a parent of an epileptic provides regular anxiety too. “Instead of just having to worry about the usual fears of a young adult child, I have to worry about the chances of her having a seizure that could put her in a risky situation.”
            Sitting at a checkered table in Five Guys a few weeks after her most recent seizure, Siri Paolino asks her daughter, “When will my purple ribbon be ready?” They both smile, knowing that the purple ribbons, representing epilepsy awareness, will be their way to share their courage.
            November has been dedicated as the National Epilepsy Awareness Month. Informing people that aren’t familiar with the disease helps them understand the constant, daily struggles that people like Mia Paolino have to be strong enough to overcome. Throughout her life she’s been ridiculed and misunderstood but by no means is she afraid or ashamed to say that she’s an epileptic.
            Battling an illness at an age of nineteen is never easy. However, strength and courage, reassured by friends and family, proves to be a powerful key to success for Mia Paolino.

<3