Epilepsy: Background information when reading Women and Children First

In Women and Children First, the debut novel from Alina Grabowski, teenager Lucy Anderson has epilepsy, a neurological disorder involving recurring seizures. Lucy has to deal not only with her distress at experiencing the seizures themselves but also with the stigma associated with the condition.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in the world, affecting around 50 million people globally. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, one in 26 people will develop epilepsy at some point in their lives. The condition can start at any age, but it most often begins in childhood or after age 60. In around 50% of cases, there is no identifiable cause; the other 50% can be due to several factors, including genetics, head trauma, infection, or injury in utero. Epilepsy has no known cure, but around 70% of those with symptoms can become seizure-free through medication. If anti-epileptic drugs aren't successful, some patients can undergo surgery to remove the part of ...