Advocates

Marika’s Story 

Marika Lopez began experiencing absence seizures at the age of 18 months and received a diagnosis at 3 years old. Throughout elementary school, she felt different from her classmates as she was the only one taking medication daily. In grade 8, Marika shared information about her seizures and the necessary first aid with her friends, but unfortunately, they abandoned her.

In the summer before Marika started grade 8, Marika’s absence seizures transformed into tonic-clonic seizures. By grade 10, she experienced her first two focal aware seizures. However, the first responders at her high school did not handle the situation well, leading Marika to rely on her parents, teachers, and librarians for assistance.

Thankfully, Marika has been seizure-free for 5 years. In September of 2018, she decided to raise awareness about epilepsy after becoming tired of people making light of the condition. Her goal is to educate and spread awareness about epilepsy to prevent others from facing the same challenges she did. She continues to spread awareness in her university and is a member of the Youth Advisory Committee for the BC Employment Strategy for Youth with Disabilities.