Community Voices

ADVOCACY • AWARENESS • LIVED EXPERIENCE • COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Our Community Voices help strengthen epilepsy awareness and connection across British Columbia. Through lived experience, education, community outreach and leadership, they help reduce stigma, encourage understanding and support people affected by epilepsy.

Meet Our Community Voices

Meet the people helping ESEBC build awareness, strengthen community connections and create positive change.

Meet Our Community Voices

What Are Community Voices?

Learn how connection, awareness, lived experience and leadership help strengthen our epilepsy community.

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Advocacy at ESEBC

Advocacy includes education, awareness, community outreach, leadership and sharing lived experience.

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Our Community Voices

Meet some of the people helping ESEBC raise awareness, strengthen connections and make epilepsy more understood in our communities.

What Community Voices Means at ESEBC

Community Voices recognizes the people who help bring ESEBC's mission into the community through connection, awareness, lived experience, education and leadership.

Our Community Voices may contribute in different ways. Some share their personal experiences with epilepsy, some help raise awareness, and others connect with individuals, families and community members through ESEBC programs and events.

Each person brings their own perspective and strengths. Together, our Community Voices help make epilepsy more visible, better understood and less isolating for people throughout British Columbia.

Being a Community Voice at ESEBC can include:

Building connections within the community
Representing ESEBC at events and awareness activities
Sharing lived experience and personal perspectives
Helping increase understanding of epilepsy and seizures
Supporting awareness campaigns and community outreach
Encouraging inclusion and helping reduce stigma
Helping people affected by epilepsy feel seen and connected

COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR

Get to Know Lauren

Lauren is ESEBC's Community Ambassador and brings warmth, energy and a genuine love of connecting with people to her role. She enjoys meeting new people, building relationships and helping others feel welcomed and included in the community.

Outside of ESEBC, Lauren has a wide range of interests and community involvement. She plays the cello, thoroughly enjoys her morning coffee, coaches with Special Olympics and volunteers in the Abbotsford International Airshow each year.

Lauren's enthusiasm for people and community is a natural fit for her role as Community Ambassador. Through ESEBC, she helps strengthen awareness, connection and understanding while bringing her own personality and perspective to our community-building efforts.

What Advocacy Means at ESEBC

Advocacy is one important part of Community Voices. It means helping people living with epilepsy feel seen, supported and understood while increasing awareness and challenging misconceptions about epilepsy and seizures.

Advocacy can take many forms. It may mean sharing lived experience, educating others, raising awareness or helping create safer and more inclusive communities.

At ESEBC, advocacy can include:

Education and awareness presentations for schools, workplaces and community groups
Youth leadership and peer-to-peer awareness
Community outreach and local events
Epilepsy awareness campaigns
Sharing lived experience to help reduce stigma
Connecting individuals and families with trusted information and resources
Encouraging greater understanding and inclusion for people living with epilepsy

YOUTH ADVOCATE

Get to Know Marika

Marika experienced her first absence seizure at 18 months old and was diagnosed with epilepsy by age 3.

As she grew up, she faced stigma and a lack of understanding at school, including moments where emergency supports were not prepared to respond effectively.

Now seizure-free for six years, Marika is committed to raising awareness, reducing stigma and improving epilepsy education as ESEBC's Youth Advocate.

COMMUNITY MOMENTS