{"id":22065,"date":"2024-11-20T10:31:49","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T02:31:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/?p=22065"},"modified":"2025-07-17T13:27:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T05:27:30","slug":"epilepsy-ambassador-fights-for-awareness-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/epilepsy-ambassador-fights-for-awareness-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Epilepsy ambassador fights for awareness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Abbey Cullen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five years ago, Abbey Cullen was settling in for a quiet evening at home, when she started to hallucinate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Curtin journalism graduate and Triple M Goldfields announcer was chatting with her younger stepbrother in his room, when she thought she saw someone outside his window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJack assured me there was no one there and when I glanced up and looked at the bedroom light, I lost my balance and fell onto the bookshelf,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy entire body then started to shake, and my eyes rolled back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 19, Abbey had just experienced her first seizure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renowned for playing practical jokes, Abbey said when Jack first called out to their mum for help, she assumed it was a prank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMum was watching dirty dancing in the living room and at first didn\u2019t believe it, until Jack screamed \u2018it\u2019s serious\u2019,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStrangely enough, mum had just completed seizure first aid training for her work that week, so knew exactly what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to her family, Abbey lost consciousness for close to 30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt must have been incredibly scary for them, seeing someone they love stop breathing for a few seconds and turn blue,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I came to, I was surrounded by paramedics and remember I could not stop giggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the hospital, I had MRIs done, but no conclusion was made that night, except that I wasn\u2019t allowed to drive for six months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was pretty hard hearing as a 19-year-old.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a year and several tests later, neurologists diagnosed Abbey with genetic generalised epilepsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Australia, one in 25 people are diagnosed with epilepsy \u2014 a condition where nerve cells in the brain can send the wrong signals and cause seizures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, the 24-year-old Kalgoorlie born radio announcer is managing her condition and raising awareness through her latest role as an Epilepsy WA ambassador.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Abbey on air.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to be that person, that somebody feels comfortable to come up to and tell their story to,\u2019\u2019 Abbey said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEpilepsy isn\u2019t something to be ashamed of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September, Abbey raised over $1500 for The Step 4 Epilepsy WA Campaign  \u2013 where participants walked 10,000 steps every day of the month as part of Epilepsy WA\u2019s mission to reach the collaborative goal of 25 million steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost of these steps were done during my breakfast show,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m quite uncoordinated, so it must have looked pretty funny seeing me walk on the treadmill and take calls from listeners at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, judging by the excitement in her voice, Abbey loved every minute of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI absolutely love what I do,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love being the reason someone enjoys their journey to work that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing a Kalgoorlie girl, it\u2019s also great I get to interview people I know on the show \u2013 including my godmother and the mayor, who I knew growing up,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Abbey isn\u2019t putting a smile on locals dial on their drive to work, she\u2019s helping out in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mum was heavily involved in the community, and she\u2019s definitely passed that onto me,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Abbey and her mum.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abbey also attributes her strength and drive to growing up in a single parent household, with a mum who was her biggest cheerleader and inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mum is the strongest person I know. She works in the mining industry as s safety manager, and from a young age exposed me to hard work and great work ethic,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I was about 13, I moved to Perth to attend boarding school, and shortly after mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThankfully she made a full recovery. But looking back at that time it was very hectic seeing your only parent unwell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following high school, Abbey took a gap year to work as an au pair in the US, before returning to Perth to study a Bachelor of Communications in Journalism and Marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was always the radio nerd of the boarding house, so it\u2019s no surprise I pursued a career in radio,\u2019\u2019 she laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember riding on the bus with my classmates, and while they chatted about boys, I was listening to the radio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI also loved media and drama at school, so radio really is the perfect blend of the two.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abbey\u2019s determination to make it in the industry, saw her go from listening to her favourite NOVA radio announcer Smallzy every day, to working alongside him in Sydney on Smallzy\u2019s Surgery promotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Abbey with the team from NOVA.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a two-year stint at NOVA Entertainment, Abbey became the first female breakfast announcer for Triple M Goldfields in January this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how does she wake up at the crack of dawn each day?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn many ways my epilepsy diagnosis has helped in my current role, because it forces me to really look after myself,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe type of epilepsy I have is triggered by excessive stress or alcohol, so I always try to get to bed early and avoid drinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m usually in bed by 7.30pm these days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On November 30, Abbey will be jumping in the ring to fight for epilepsy awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’ll be taking part in this year\u2019s Corporate Boxing Event<\/a> at Crown, to raise more funds for Epilepsy WA<\/a>,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m currently training for it. It\u2019s actually very cardio heavy. I\u2019ll be wearing gloves, headgear and boots and will go up against a professional fighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile this is something definitely out of my comfort zone, it is all for a good cause and I\u2019m happy I can shine a spotlight on epilepsy and bring it out of the shadows.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

___<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n \n\n

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