Rachael, 23, works as a Client Account Executive for a marketing company. She loves cooking, especially making pizza, and has recently bought her first car with her own money. She’s a Young Rep for Young Epilepsy and has been working with them since she was 18 on various campaigns.
We asked Rachael to imagine a day in her future that she really wants to happen. She chose moving out of the family home.
“We’ve done it and this is just the start”
My dream day is ….
The day I move out of my family home. My mum and me are really close and I’m quite dependent on her even though I’m seizure-free. I didn’t go away to university because I didn’t feel safe because of my epilepsy, so the day I leave home will be a big thing for me and for my independence and starting my own life.
I wake up in …
My bedroom in my family home. It’s 9 or 9.30. I feel happy and excited, and the sun is shining. I’ve lived at home my whole life and moving in with someone is completely different - I don’t think you fully know someone until you start to live with them and get used to their routines.
To get myself ready for the big day I …
Have breakfast, American pancakes with chocolate chips and maple syrup drizzled over. Then strawberries to balance it out. I’d sit in the garden to eat them. I’d be with my mum and she’d be saying ‘I can’t believe my baby’s finally moving out’. We got closer when I was diagnosed with epilepsy and so everything that I accomplish, big or small, we celebrate together, and we’re even more grateful for it because we've worked hard to get to being healthy and happy.
The most important things I pack for my new home are ..
I’m a bit of clothes hoarder, so lots of clothes. I don’t like throwing stuff away. When they were investigating what was wrong with me and they didn’t know it was epilepsy, my mum carried around a lucky penny. And one time in Ireland with my family, I bought us a lucky poker chip each that we now carry around with us everyday for good luck. I’d make sure 100% that mine moves with me.
My new house would be …
A semi-detached townhouse that would have a front garden with grass. It’s a proper homey home and I’m excited. It won’t be too far away because I don’t like the thought of moving too far away from my family.
Our first meal will be …
Chinese and a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate. We’ll have lots of boxes everywhere and things that need to be built.
I’ll be thinking about …
How I’ve found someone to put trust in. Like my boyfriend now, I told him about my epilepsy and the charity work I do on our first date, to see how he reacted. We’ve been together for six months and I think only now he’s realising the impact epilepsy has on my daily life. Like we went to the beach for my birthday recently and my mum said to him you have to make sure she doesn’t get too hot or cold or tired. It’s something he’s never had to think about - when you’re young, you just go with the flow. We were talking about festivals as he’d love to go to one, but when I was diagnosed with epilepsy the thought of being in a big crowd and something happening put me off going. I can’t drink a lot of alcohol and I started driving a few years later than everyone else - as a young person, for him it’s just stuff you do, but with me, he’s seen a completely different side to life.
The thing I’ll most look forward to in my new home is …
Having the freedom to do what I want, when I want. I’m 23 and I still live at home. Being in my own place, creating my own life and making my own schedule for when I do things. I’ll make lots of homemade pizza - I make the dough from scratch and put mozzarella, basil, herbs and caramelised onion with goat’s cheese on it. It's really low in calories!
The first thing that will go up on my wall will be …
Photos, the big frames you can buy with six or eight photos. I’ll have nice pictures from over the years like from when I was a baby all the way up to now, and with my friends. My mum and dad will probably buy me a painting or something like that, something that I’ll hopefully keep for a long time, something that has sentimental value to it.
Before I go to bed I …
Might feel a bit overwhelmed, thinking about all we have to do. If it’s summer, I’ll be thinking about the garden, as I’ll want to put flowers in. But it will also be nice, going over things in my head, like what do I want to do first now we’ve finally got the house, to make it ours.
The day means so much to me because …
Of the independence and being able to do 'normal' things that I didn’t think I’d be able to do having epilepsy. I got a new car a few months ago that I bought with my own money and this was such a proud moment as being able to drive is a massive thing for me. So I think I’ll probably sit down for dinner one day and look around my house and think we’ve done it and this is just the start.
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