901 Now: Woman with epilepsy turns personal experience into statewide movement
A former Lemoyne Owen student is using her personal story with epilepsy to help teachers and students be better-equipped when responding to seizures in class.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A former Lemoyne-Owen student is using her personal story with epilepsy to help teachers and students in classrooms how to be better-equipped when responding to students experiencing seizures.
What began as a personal mission has grown into a statewide movement for Bre’Asia Bradley.
Bradley is the founder of B.E.A.T.S., a nonprofit that focuses on bringing epilepsy awareness to society.Through awareness trainings, distributing educational resources, and advocated for policy reform, Bradley says this journey to educate others has been both personal and empowering.
Her most impactful achievement to date has been creating and championing a seizure safety bill that recently passed into law.
This legislation ensures that schools across Tennessee are better equipped to respond to students experiencing seizures, requiring seizure first aid training for school personnel and providing essential protections for those living with epilepsy or who have had a seizure.
“Growing up with my epilepsy in school, people didn’t know how to help me they got scared, I myself when I was younger didn’t understand it. It scared me,” Bradley said. “Things I was told not to do, I still did it. I was bullied for it. So the significance with it being in schools--that’s where students spend most of their day and that’s where they are influential at that stage.”
Bradley said her main mission is to advocate for turning adversity into action, especially for young people who want to make a difference in their communities.