""Let's talk about epilepsy. My epilepsy"", This is how Michal, daughter of Avigdor Lieberman, opens her moving letter, which the Foreign Minister posted on his Facebook page, to raise public awareness of the disease.
And so Michal writes: "According to the Anita Kaufman Epilepsy Education Center in Soroka, one in 100 children and one in 150 adults deal with this disease, and yet it seems that among the public the concept of "epilepsy" is still perceived as something mysterious, terrible, threatening, and elusive.".
On Rosh Hashanah Eve, September 24, 2014, while I was cooking for fun, I had an epileptic seizure that ended with me falling on a hot oven door, suffering third-degree burns to my chest, leg, and hand. I was rushed to the hospital - and I'm still here. It's been a month and a week (but who's counting?).
During this entire time, I have been surrounded by love and support from every possible direction, from family, friends, the medical team, and just 'good people in the middle of the road' who heard about what happened and are praying for my recovery - so I have no doubt that I am on the road to full recovery.
I am filled with a strong desire to return the favor to the world. Since I am confined to the hospital, in pain, and severely limited in my movements, I decided that the virtual way was the most appropriate way to convey a clear and concise message to society:
"Epilepsy is not a dirty word, it is not a source of shame, and there is no reason to hide it. On the contrary, the more we are aware of the disease, the more we can help and support patients and their families.".
Michal later says that the disease was discovered in her childhood, and since then, 'she and I have been living together.' Epilepsy has become a part of her life, and despite the many medications, involuntary movements still appear.
In the meantime, Michal got married, and is the mother of three children, or as she describes it: "Since becoming a mother, I have had malicious anxieties that I might have a seizure when I'm with the children, but medical solutions were found for all of these things, and I've always had family and friends to help me when needed.".
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