COLLINSVILLE - A local woman is making waves through an online initiative that aims to spread epilepsy awareness.
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Allany Muniz remembers her mother trying to find answers online after Muniz was diagnosed with epilepsy. Now, the Collinsville woman is providing her own explanations through “Diary of an Epileptic,” her profile on YouTube, TikTok, Lemon8 and Instagram. Not only does “Diary of an Epileptic” aim to spread awareness, but it hopes to remind people with epilepsy that they have a life beyond their diagnosis.
“You’re not alone,” Muniz said. “This invisible disease does not have to make you feel invisible, too.”
Muniz started posting vlogs and content about her daily life as well as statistics and jokes about epilepsy. The goal, she explained, is to inform while also showing viewers that someone with epilepsy can have a fulfilling, happy life.
The initiative quickly became “a pet project,” and Muniz has a lot of passion for the Diary of an Epileptic brand. Whenever she makes a post, she thinks back to the work she and her mother had to do following her diagnosis. She wants to make it easier for other parents and children to navigate medical systems.
“The motivator started off when I was diagnosed. My mother and I didn’t really have a lot to go off of. The only thing we had to go on was based on stuff online,” she remembered. “A parent shouldn’t have to go through three websites to find an answer…I just remember feeling like, if there were any way I could help someone who could avoid the same predicament I was in and let them know that there is life outside of the diagnosis, [I wanted to do that].”
Muniz added that epilepsy is “more psychological than people assume it is.” There’s an element of loneliness when receiving a diagnosis like this. She hopes to help people realize life goes on and they don’t have to navigate this by themselves.
She emphasizes that people should consult a doctor, as she doesn’t intend to give medical advice. But she hopes the Diary of an Epileptic initiative can continue to grow and connect people across the internet who are dealing with epilepsy and related seizure disorders.
“Everyone needs to know that they're not alone, that there are people who are going through the same predicament as you,” she added. “I’m just a person who lives through it and who understands the struggle, who understands a lot of endurance that a lot of people in the epilepsy community show.”
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