When you hear the word epilepsy, what do you think of? Most people assume it’s someone who is wheelchair-bound, constantly spazzing out, and completely unable to control their speech. When I asked fellow classmate, Aaron Decoux, what he thought epilepsy was, his response was “Isn’t it when you fall down really hard and see a bunch of flashing colors in your eyes?”

About 2 million Americans and 65 million people worldwide are affected by epilepsy every single day.

Many people stereotype what seizures and epilepsy are. Avery Heffernan, someone who has suffered with epilepsy since he was 15 years old, told me that he was never really bullied but did have a hard time dealing with it in high school. “I think I have probably been treated differently because of my epilepsy. I mean, if you look at me I have a pretty big scar on the back of my head running up to my ear. The scar is from my brain surgery I had in July. The right side of my brain was deformed at birth and that’s where the seizures are coming from so they cut it out.”

With his freedom’s being somewhat restricted, he doesn’t let epilepsy stop him from doing what he wants. When he isn’t in school, he enjoys spending time with his supportive girlfriend, Cassidy Wilson, and working out. “My independence is very limited, but my family helps me a lot and I’m fortunate enough to have friends and family that help to try and live a normal life.”

Almost anyone can develop a seizure or epilepsy, especially young children and teens, and anyone that knows someone who does suffer from them is affected. When you are diagnosed with epilepsy, some of your freedom is taken away from you, making it a little bit more difficult to do the things teens want to do, like drive a car. In Avery’s case, he won’t be able to drive at all in his life because of how his epilepsy has affected him.

With Epilepsy Awareness Month coming up in November, I think you should take the time to learn about the condition and to be more sensitive who suffer from it.