By Charlene Macaulay
Nikita Cataldo was in grade 6 when she had her first epileptic seizure – but it still took about a year for her condition to be diagnosed.
As a child, she had to be careful around TVs and computers that could trigger seizures.
She grew out of her photo-sensitive epilepsy in her teenage years, but her epilepsy returned when she was in year 12 – this time triggered by stress or while she was asleep.
“I have no idea when I have one,” she said.
“The only time I know I’ve had a seizure is when I wake up in an ambulance.”
While the 26-year-old Werribee resident hasn’t had a seizure in the past five years, she works hard to keep the conversation about epilepsy awareness going.
Ms Cataldo and her team, The Avengers, will be among thousands who will take on the Walk for Epilepsy at Princes Park in Carlton this Sunday to raise awareness and funds for the Epilepsy Foundation.
It’s Ms Cataldo’s first time in the walk, but she’s no stranger to fundraising for the Epilepsy Foundation – she helps sell merchandise for a Purple Day event in March each year.
“It’s not one of those illnesses or diseases that is talked about,” she said.
“So I try to help where I can to raise awareness, even making sure people know what to do [if someone has an epileptic seizure].”
Ms Cataldo said that if onlookers saw someone have an epileptic seizure, they should put that person on their side to stop them from choking, call triple-0 and time the seizure.
To donate, go to walkforepilepsy-2018.everydayhero.com/au/nikita
