Nisshaa Muniandy

Nisshaa was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was 6 and then dystonia at 17. Nisshaa had dystonia when she was 6 years old, but her doctors failed to identify it at a young age. Dystonia is rare in Malaysia (where Nisshaa lives) and it's new to some doctors. Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions.

Despite the inconvenience, Nisshaa has learned to embrace the illnesses that she has as a blessing. She is able to appreciate many things in her life, from her family and friends to the finer things in life, like food!

Every night pain visits her. There's no escape from her diagnosis. Her food flies off of her plate when she is eating. She will go around just to wear her clothes. She can't sit for more than an hour. She can't stand for less than 10 minutes. She walks slower than a turtle. There are a million things that trigger her dystonia and epilepsy.

However, she is glad to have these diagnoses. Without them, she would never learn gratefulness, self-love, gratitude, friendship, love, and many more positive values.

She is deeply connected to herself. She is connected with her body and mind. She is able to understand how her body functions. "I know I'm physically limited but my brain functions quite amazingly. There is so much to learn in life," Nisshaa says. That being said, she enjoys learning every day.

Nisshaa is currently pursuing a master's degree in English language studies. It's interesting and adventurous. She has gotten a chance to talk to a lot of people and draw from their inspirations to keep going. She loves to tell people that she is just a girl who happens to have a disability. She is still entitled to be happy. She is proud of who she is. She is comfortable being herself.

She hopes her stories will inspire you as well. As you are, you are complete, and you are a blessing to all.

Nisshaa also runs a page called "The Unique You" where everyone is welcome to share their personal story to inspire others. It is her passion, and she believes by sharing stories, individuals can be recognized for their talent or story. As one accepts oneself for who one is, their life shines like a bright star.

Click here to read all of Nisshaa's articles on EpilepsyDisease.com.