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Rohan

I realised if I went to Young Epilepsy's Further Education College, I could still do photography, which was really important to me. It’s important for everyone to have a say in their education because we’re all individuals and we all have different needs.

Twenty year old Rohan is an intelligent young man with a budding interest in photography. But when you talk to him about what life was like before he became a student at Young Epilepsy, you can tell he’s come a very long way indeed.

My old school wasn’t a good place for me, Rohan explains. I used to be kept away from the other students and I had to spend break and lunch times near the staff because of my epilepsy. I didn’t get to mix with anyone my own age and I had to stay in the medical room even after my seizures. I was the only one in my school with epilepsy.

Rohan wasn’t diagnosed with epilepsy until he was about four years old. He’s been on 14 or more different drugs since then. As a result, he also has osteoporosis and is partially sighted in his right eye.

I feel much more independent here, he says. I’m included. I’m not different from anyone else. And being here has also helped me cope with my epilepsy better.

Despite being extremely isolated at his old school, Rohan was keen to get his GCSEs so he stayed on there to do them. My parents have always been very supportive, he says. With their help, I even managed to get a B in photography. Rohan is a now a residential student at Young Epilepsy, which means he lives in one of our on-site houses during term time, and returns home during the holidays. He gets to mix with people his own age and take part in activities he didn’t get the chance to do before. I feel much more independent here, he says. I’m included. I’m not different from anyone else. And being here has also helped me cope with my epilepsy better. I now do as much as I can for other students who have seizures. With the help of my staff, I’m also learning to do my medication on my own which is a really big step for me.

Rohan’s confidence has grown so much that he’s currently attending a mainstream college, alongside the courses he’s doing with us. He’s already achieved a Level 1 Diploma in Digital Applications and is now undertaking a Level 1 Certificate in Business Administration and IT. Rohan is also an active member of our Outreach Group, a student-led initiative where young people from the college talk to the public about what it’s like to have epilepsy.

I think that if you’re capable of being on a course, whatever your disability, you should be included and given suitable support. That’s what I finally have now, says Rohan.