Tell us what you think of Families in Partnership
We would be grateful to learn from what you think of the Families in Partnership newsletter – this minute-long survey will help us improve the newsletter for the community 👉
Celebrating Achievements - Olivia's story
Published
Olivia discusses overcoming her struggles with epilepsy and how working with Future Me Gloucestershire has empowered her as a person. She discusses how as she has grown, how epilepsy has become less of her identity in the workplace, and how she views herself now.
Hello!
My name is Olivia and I work for Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) and also have epilepsy. Whilst I believed that I would never be able to live like everybody else because of it, I have managed to maintain a job and travel around Europe with friends!
A bit about me
I have always struggled with uncontrolled epilepsy, and it had impacted my confidence, especially as a teenager. You would never hear stuff about people with invisible disabilities or the struggles that they have. I believed my epilepsy was a liability and automatically meant that I could not do what other children and young adults were doing. Until recently, I was ashamed to take up space with my epilepsy or ask for help when I needed it.
My role with Future Me Gloucestershire
I started working at Future Me in 2021 as a Youth Representative at GCC, and when people ask about my role, my face lights up. I can be working at an event with colleagues doing outreach and then the next day I am on the radio (and I get to pick the music!).This summer, I am back at GCC as a Peer Researcher, exploring inclusivity in and out of schools. I get to attend meetings, write my own report and do my own research, which is all a new level of independence for me. When in a meeting with my co-workers, I do not feel judged if I need to ask for them to repeat and maybe explain further if I need to hear something again.
Four years on...
Future Me is just one thing I do as somebody who ‘happens’ to have epilepsy. I am going into my third year at university, studying a subject that I adore. I belly dance and have faced my fears when I danced in front of a crowd of people! Additionally, I have interrailed around Europe twice and met incredible people who I still talk to today. Challenging myself has allowed me to recognise how much I love my job and my hobbies. I do understand the saying, ‘when you love your work, you never work a day in your life.’
I am proud of all these achievements, and I will always celebrate my accomplishments with Future Me. I have grown with the job. Being able to explore what the council can do to improve life for children and young adults with additional needs not only makes me proud, but I feel like I am making a difference by using my lived experience to help others. Frequently, I feel sad that I felt my condition made me less of a person and I let it hold me back, however I have turned into a different person because of my job.
In summary...
Never let anything, or anybody, hold you back, and in that way, you will have few regrets. You should never feel bad for taking up space. If people judge you solely on an aspect of yourself that you cannot help, such as a disability, then they have done you a favour. You know that they are not your people.