The Now What Podcast: Young Adults and Epilepsy

The Cameron Boyce Foundation
  • 5.0 (4)
  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

This podcast is presented by The Cameron Boyce Foundation & UCB! Our goal is to answer the question: "You are a young adult with epilepsy, now what!?" Each week hosts Karan Brar & Sophie Reynolds will bring on expert guests to cover topics that young adults with epilepsy face, from dating & sex, to diet and stigma. No topic is off limits! The Cameron Boyce Foundation (est. 2019) honors the legacy of Cameron Boyce by aiming to cure epilepsy through funding research, education and awareness campaigns while still supporting causes that were important to Cameron.

  1. 12/19/2025

    Surviving the Unimaginable: Community Stories with Brielle May

    This Community Stories episode centers on the power of resilience, identity, and hope in the face of epilepsy. Guest host Briar Nolet, a professional dancer living with epilepsy who was on last year, welcomes Brielle May, who shares her life-changing experience after a seizure in 2024 left her in a coma for two months. Following her hospitalization, Brielle was diagnosed with NORSE/FIRES, a rare and severe neurological condition. Now living with frequent seizures, she speaks honestly about recovery, grief for the life she once knew, and the strength it takes to keep moving forward. Briar and Brielle discuss what it means to continue pursuing your passions, how community support can make all the difference, and why sharing real stories helps others feel less alone. This episode is a reminder that even after unimaginable moments, life - and purpose - can still take shape. Thank you to our sponsor UCB for making this podcast possible. For more resources and ways to get involved, visit thecameronboycefoundation.org.

    37 min

  2. 12/05/2025

    Losing a Sibling to Epilepsy

    In this episode, Karan and Sophie are joined by Maya Boyce and Alexandria Tonore to explore a side of epilepsy that isn’t often talked about: the experience of being a sibling. Maya and Alexandria open up about the fear, responsibility, love, and grief that come with growing up alongside someone living with epilepsy — and what it means to continue on after losing a sibling to this disease. Their stories shed light on how epilepsy shapes families, how grief evolves over time, and why support for siblings is just as essential as support for patients. Thank you to our sponsor UCB for making this podcast possible. For resources and ways to get involved, visit thecameronboycefoundation.org.

    34 min

  3. 11/21/2025

    Service Dogs & Epilepsy

    In this episode, Karan and Sophie welcome Jaime Simpson, disability advocate, public figure, mom of two, and service-dog trainer, for a deep dive into Service Dogs & Epilepsy. Jaime shares her personal journey living with epilepsy and Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, the medical challenges she’s faced, and how her seizure-alert dog, Echo, became a life-changing partner in her safety and independence. Once a professional dancer and now returning to modeling, Jaime talks about resilience, identity, and navigating chronic illness while raising a family. Whether you're newly diagnosed, supporting someone with epilepsy, or just curious about how service dogs work, this episode breaks down the essentials. Thank you to our sponsor UCB for making this podcast possible.For more resources and ways to get involved, visit thecameronboycefoundation.org.

    31 min

  4. 11/14/2025

    How To Deal With Shame & Epilepsy

    We're back with Season 2 of The Now What Podcast! Karan and Sophie of The Cameron Boyce Foundation are joined by Sameera Polavarapu & Dr. Eleni Rizakos to discuss shame and how it affects epilepsy. Sameera is an NYC-based writer and strategist who works at the intersection of culture and design. Dr. Rizakos is a licensed psychologist who specializes in treating children, adolescents, and young adults with a variety of emotional and medical conditions, including epilepsy. Shame is something that everyone deals with, but it can have much harsher affects on those with epilepsy. Sameera draws on her experience living with epilepsy while Dr. Rizakos shares what she has learned treating patients. T his podcast is produced and brought to you by The Cameron Boyce Foundation and wouldn't be possible without our sponsor UCB. To learn more about UCB visit their website at https://ucb-usa.com/ For more resources on this topic and to learn more about TCBF, visit ⁠www.thecameronboycefoundation.org⁠

    35 min

  5. 02/12/2025

    What to know about SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) | The Now What Podcast Episode 9

    In this episode, Sophie is joined by Tim Ogeltree & Dr. Dan Friedman. Tim, who has epilepsy, is a friend of The Cameron Boyce Foundation and was made aware of SUDEP from Cameron's passing. Dr. Dan Friedman is a Professor in th Department of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine & is the director of the division of epilespy. In this episode we talk about SUDEP, what we know and what we don't know. We know this episode can be triggering for a lot of people with epilepsy. We do our best to share tips and give support for those who are rightfully so, afraid. If you're looking for support, please join our Epilepsy Support Groups on our Facebook page below. Thank you to our sponsor UCB for making this podcast possible. For more resources on this topic, visit our website at www.thecameronboycefoundation.org Get involved:instagram.com/thecameronboycefoundation facebook.com/cameronboycefoundation tiktok.com /officialtcbftiktok

    50 min

  6. 02/06/2025

    Thriving With Epilepsy, How Briar Nolet is Pursuing Her Dream

    In this episode, Sophie & Karan are joined my model, actress and dancer Briar Nolet. Briar Nolet is a world-class dancer, notably on World of Dance, where she captured the attention of the world with her amazing dance moves. Briar's story is nothing but remarkable. In the midst of competing and dancing, she started to have seizures. She was diagnosed with epilespy, and the cause was dancing. She shares her remarkable journey of thriving with epilpsy in this episode that is inspiring for us all! Thank you to our sponsor UCB for making this podcast possible. For more resources on this topic, visit our website at www.thecameronboycefoundation.org Get involved: instagram.com/thecameronboycefoundation facebook.com/cameronboycefoundation tiktok.com /officialtcbftiktok

    37 min

  7. 01/31/2025

    Epilepsy & Fertility, Everything You Need to Know

    In this episode, Sophie is joined by the Executive Director of The Cameron Boyce Foundation, Heather Kuhn & Dr. Pack, the Chief of the Division of Epilepsy and Sleep Disorders, Professor of Neurology - New York. Within the Epilepsy Center at Columbia Dr. Pack is the director of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and co-director of the Epilepsy Surgery Program. One of her research focuses is on the care of persons of childbearing potential with epilepsy. Heather has a PhD focused in Epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health. In this episode, we'll discuss the impact epilepsy has on fertility. We cover topics such as getting pregnant with epilepsy, what you should do with medications, and everything you need to know after you give birth. Thank you to our sponsor UCB for making this podcast possible. For more resources on this topic, visit our website at www.thecameronboycefoundation.org Get involved: instagram.com/thecameronboycefoundation facebook.com/cameronboycefoundation tiktok.com /officialtcbftiktok

    56 min

  8. 01/20/2025

    Keto Diet & Epilepsy, Everything You Need To Know

    In this episode, Karan and Sophie are joined by Dr. Mackenzie Cervenka, a Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Mia Randall, member of our community advisory board who has tried the Keto Diet. We'll discuss everything you need to know about the Keto Diet & Epilepsy. There are a lot of nuances that we discuss and a lot of questions surrounding this topic, and we aim to answer all of them. Dr. Cervenka and her colleagues have treated nearly 500 adults with epilepsy, glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome and refractory status epilepticus using ketogenic therapies. Thank you to our sponsor UCB for making this podcast possible. For more resources on this topic, visit our website at www.thecameronboycefoundation.org Get involved: https://www.instagram.com/thecameronboycefoundation/ https://www.facebook.com/cameronboycefoundation https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtcbftiktok

    36 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

This podcast is presented by The Cameron Boyce Foundation & UCB! Our goal is to answer the question: "You are a young adult with epilepsy, now what!?" Each week hosts Karan Brar & Sophie Reynolds will bring on expert guests to cover topics that young adults with epilepsy face, from dating & sex, to diet and stigma. No topic is off limits! The Cameron Boyce Foundation (est. 2019) honors the legacy of Cameron Boyce by aiming to cure epilepsy through funding research, education and awareness campaigns while still supporting causes that were important to Cameron.

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