Meet Melissa Edwards-parsard

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melissa Edwards-parsard a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa , thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?

I got tired of seeing others in my community living in fear and losing hope. So they developed a mental state to just go with the flow. Some reward is better than no reward and how will I know if I can overcome a task if I never tried.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I Melissa Edwards-Parsard
Born in Jamaica, West Indies, has lived a challenging yet inspirational life. I am a writer, singer, actress, motivational speaker, and published author. I began writing at a very young age which developed into the art of several forms of creative writing. My skills have reached and inspired several audiences over the years and have enhanced my many outreach programs during my plays, short stories, dramatic poems, and motivational transcripts. I have won several writing contests, created, reviewed, and edited many manuscripts, and have worked with many individuals to overcome struggles such as fear, abuse, bondage, sickness, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts as a motivational outreach worker. All while using my story as a tool and inspiration. A desire developed and given by the power of God in my life.
Despite being diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 17 due to a head injury, I made it my mission to eliminate fear and live despite the many risks, warnings, and pressure placed upon my life because I had no medicinal control. This was a serious situation because everything triggered my seizures. Thinking too hard, working, studying, getting too excited, worrying, flashing lights, getting too hot, and simple emotional gestures like laughing too hard, being overwhelmed or stressed, just to list a few. As a result, my neurologist suggested that I stop all of my activities and just sit and live for the moment. This was because I was having over one hundred seizures per month, three different types to be exact. Simple Partial Seizures, which caused Jamai vu and placed me in a state of derealization. Complex Partial Seizures which caused impairment to awareness and consciousness, and Petit Mal Seizures which caused a sudden loss of consciousness for one to two seconds. A very emotional and traumatizing state of mind that although they lasted between 2 seconds to five minutes depending on the type of seizure, disrupted my physiological and psychological well-being daily. I was still taking anti-epileptic medicines daily, and instead of aiding with the seizures, I began struggling with other medical issues caused by the side effects of the medicines themselves. Issues such as severe constipation, panic attacks, mood swings, depression, digestive issues, fatigue, weight gain, headaches, and suicidal thoughts, just to list a few.
As a person who has lived under the ordinance of God all of my life, my doctor’s suggestion was not an option for me. There was no way I could see myself living in bondage and just sit and live for the moment. Therefore, I refused to live in fear and I worked hard for 15 years. I conducted my research and found other healthy solutions to help with the side effects of my medicines and at times switched them out, I accomplished my studies despite having many seizures during my classes and exams, I developed a career in community service and finance, and found a solution to obtain full seizure control after having brain surgery in 2016. All while using my gifts in the arts to encourage and motivate others regarding life’s issues and blessings. I have always dreamed of becoming a professional journalist, which is why I began my studies, and when I was forced to discontinue my passion due to excessive seizures while in college, I decided to continue my writing locally and independently. Besides my many transcripts used locally and professionally by different corporations, I published my children’s book Joe’s Journey to Christ, my poetry book Poetic Genres: Expressions Of Life, and my novel, “PRISON” An Epileptic’s Fight For Freedom. I have worked with many organizations to inspire others who feel discouraged due to their disabilities and remind them that life is still filled with rewarding opportunities. You may be taking a different path, but you still have the same skills and capabilities as anyone else. You can still work, study, be productive and most importantly, be happy.
I have recently created my YouTube channel EDLISSA Life Beyond Epileptic Boundaries. Designed to inspire, encourage, motivate, and educate individuals who are living with epilepsy and other medical issues. Especially, as a result of the side effects of some anti-epileptic medications and treatment options. Although I now have full medicinal control and have stopped having seizures daily. I still run the risk of potentially having withdrawal seizures in the future, caused by the same anti-epileptic medications prescribed. Therefore, my journey continues. This is why I continue to write and work with others and have created my YouTube channel. To educate others regarding the many factors involved in dealing with epilepsy and what can be done to aid in our journey.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back on my journey; three qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my life are faith in God, strong tenacity, and believing that the only thing to fear in life is fear itself. As a person who has lived by faith all my life, I’ve made it my duty to reject all negative vibrations. I’ve never accepted any bad news or difficult situations as the official outcome of my story. There is always a way to overcome our struggles. Therefore, I like to remind myself that every situation is just a stepping stone to a higher level of life, and I like to take each struggle and add it to my list of testimonies. I am a firm believer that all things are possible through faith and tenacity. Plus. I like to remind others that although life is unpredictable, you still have the power to tell your own story. Therefore, do what is necessary to influence the outcome of your journey. The road may seem intimidating but never be overcome by fear. Instead, remember that there are many paths to take and that your journey is never over until you’ve crossed the finish line.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

Whenever I feel overwhelmed or stressed, I like to pause and reconnect with the present moment plus focus on the positive. I reflect on the goodness of God and use the scriptures of the bible as a means of encouragement to help me each day. I am a firm believer that our physical health plays a role in our emotional well-being and stress levels. Therefore, I like to keep my mind and body healthy. I exercise six to seven days per week and maintain a whole-food plant-based diet. I am an advocate for living a healthy lifestyle and have provided fitness and nutrition advice to many individuals as a TeamBeachBody coach, now known as BODI. I like to avoid anything that is going to cause me physical harm like drinking, smoking, drugs, lack of rest, and negative programs that can affect me psychologically. By taking care of ourselves physically and psychologically, we can help to reduce our stress levels and have better emotional control each day.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prosperity01_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twinnytwo70/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lifebeyondepilepticboundaries
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=channel_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEVKMnYzeHNyaFVsZHZKc3NNZVl5XzZienVYUXxBQ3Jtc0trMTFDLUhCcHpPM0tqZjFFY3E4eGxZbmxCQjZWYktvVGh6ZDFETmt1VUhkWU9UWGJkYVQ3MkMtUHZHYmZzWGdVQ3Axa3gzVnpKQ25WWkQ1Z3dxdVBiTmtSamNpLUxRdmFFVEtQQ1owdTJoYndhVzNpOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPrison-Epileptics-Freedom-Melissa-Edwards-Parsard%2Fdp%2F1984117211
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Image Credits

Pershan Parsard is the illustrator for my children’s book Joe’s Journey To Christ and has provided suggestions that enhanced the design of my other published books. We are currently working on the illustrations of my other books together.