I have a friend by Nikki Wright

Digital image with text

Artist statement: Diagnosed at the age of 14 with a brain disease (Epilepsy) that I knew little about left me terrified, the not knowing what to expect in the future or how others would react…10 years later, now a 24 year old woman, I am beyond proud of how much I have achieved yet the daily battles feel like a broken record unable to be fixed.

Many might say epilepsy isn’t an INVISIBLE DISABILITY because we have seizures… yet the result of that seizure is critical, it tears through our brains like a lightning storm, leaves our bodies weak and bruised, and results in hours of sleep to gain the drained energy.

From the outside we may appear fine and perhaps you may think to yourself one day they don’t need priority seating … except what you don’t know is it can strike without warning and a fatal fall is all it takes.

I cannot tell my brain disease ‘please go away’ or ‘don’t hurt me’…

My disability is invisible and it does and will always follow me everywhere I go.

I have a friend by Nikki Wright

Digital image with text

Artist statement: Diagnosed at the age of 14 with a brain disease (Epilepsy) that I knew little about left me terrified, the not knowing what to expect in the future or how others would react…10 years later, now a 24 year old woman, I am beyond proud of how much I have achieved yet the daily battles feel like a broken record unable to be fixed.

Many might say epilepsy isn’t an INVISIBLE DISABILITY because we have seizures… yet the result of that seizure is critical, it tears through our brains like a lightning storm, leaves our bodies weak and bruised, and results in hours of sleep to gain the drained energy.

From the outside we may appear fine and perhaps you may think to yourself one day they don’t need priority seating … except what you don’t know is it can strike without warning and a fatal fall is all it takes.

I cannot tell my brain disease ‘please go away’ or ‘don’t hurt me’…

My disability is invisible and it does and will always follow me everywhere I go.