Epilepsy, a condition stemming from the abnormal firing of brain neurons that causes seizures, is one of the world's most profoundly misunderstood medical issues, affecting over 50 million people globally, with 80% of them living in low and middle-income countries like Nigeria, as noted by DW The 77 Percentage. The startling reality of witnessing someone "drops to the ground and starts violently shaking" is amplified by deeply ingrained societal myths. For Sarat Kaka, whose personal journey with epilepsy "changed their entire life," the battle against societal misconceptions has been as challenging as managing the condition itself.
Kaka first experienced a seizure at age 16 in high school, recalling a "sudden fit on my forehead and I fell". Reoccurring seizures led to her doing an MRI and an EEG before receiving a diagnosis. In Yoruba, the term for epilepsy is vapa, and the condition, varakua, is shunned because people believe it is "spiritual and it is contagious". This stigma fostered extreme isolation for Kaka, who started "saying indoor" and experienced seizures constantly, sometimes "four, five, seven times in a day". After regaining consciousness following one episode, she noticed people "were just standing looking" at her, which made her so sad that she "decided to take my own life". Kaka's first experience with depression was in 2014, resulting in a suicide attempt that left her in a coma for two months.
Related article - Uphorial Shopify
Epilepsy is NOT caused by spirits
However, the period following the coma marked a turning point. Kaka chose to "accept the condition," realizing there was "nothing you could do" but to "keep taking your drugs, go out more, mix with people". Given the "fear and the ignorance of other people," which can lead to "isolation and exploitation" for those with the condition, Kaka developed a unique safety protocol. She carries an emergency contact note on her phone that details what to do when she is having an episode, as she usually knows when a seizure is "about to have seizure". She prepares herself by removing her wristwatch, jab, and shoe. She recounted a painful experience where she showed this note to a Lastman lady, who "gave me back my phone and left" her sitting alone with her baby. It took a kind elderly person ("one ad") to take her daughter and bring her to a park.
Kaka is now proactive, managing her condition and advocating for others. She identified her personal triggers as stress, lightning, and a loud sudden sound. She volunteers with the relevant sector in Nigeria, listens to others with the condition, and actively shares her story on social media. Her message is a plea to the public: "epilepsy is not spiritual, it is not contagious, don't label us".
Addressing common societal questions, DW The 77 Percentage asked if the condition is connected to spirituality, to which the "short answer is no". Epilepsy is a neurological condition where brain neurons "fire abnormally". It can be caused by traumatic brain injury, brain infections, brain tumors, or genetic abnormalities. Some cases are idiopathic, meaning the cause cannot be "definitely say[d]". Despite the existence of treatments, three out of four people in low and middle-income countries "don't get treatment," either because they "can't access it," "don't know is available," or "simply just can't afford it". DW The 77 Percentage provided good news: epilepsy is "not a death sentence". With "early diagnosis and right treatment," about 70% of people can leave a seizure-free life using anti-seizure medications. This care does not require "sophisticated equipment" and can mostly be provided at "primary healthcare center levels," with surgery reserved for those who "respond poorly to oral medication". Kaka's story serves as a powerful testament to the need to end the stigma surrounding this treatable and common neurological condition.
