Cork TD: 'I don't want my story to be about 'beating' epilepsy..I haven't beaten anything'
Eoghan Kenny, a Cork TD, shares his personal journey of being diagnosed with epilepsy at age 21. He emphasizes that he does not view his condition as something to be 'beaten,' but rather as a part of his life that requires ongoing management.
Why it matters
The article provides a humanizing perspective on living with a chronic neurological condition while serving in public office.
Eoghan Kenny celebrates winning a seat for Cork North Central at the 2024 General Election. He went public about his epilepsy shortly before polling day. Picture Chani Anderson
I never planned to talk publicly about my epilepsy. Now I know why I should.
For most of my life, I was never sick. I genuinely don’t think I missed a day of school. I was young, healthy and, like most people that age, I probably just assumed that was how life would continue.
Then, when I was 21, things started happening that I couldn’t explain. I would wake up on the floor after falling out of bed, confused about how I had got there. Other times, things just didn’t feel right, strange moments of confusion where I would find myself thinking: what just happened there?
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