A courageous young boy from Mount Stewart Primary School in Harrow is inspiring his classmates and the wider community with his positive attitude towards epilepsy.
11-year-old Dian Dabasia lives with daily seizures, but he refuses to let them hold him back.
‘I don’t let epilepsy stop me from having fun!’ says Dian. ‘I love playing video games and listening to music, especially on days when I need to feel better. I have daily seizures, which leave me feeling very tired. I don’t like having them, but I am learning to live with it.’
Dian says he feels supported by his family and friends at school.
‘My friends know about my epilepsy and don’t treat me any differently,’ he explains. ‘They make me feel happy, safe and I don’t worry about my epilepsy when I’m around them. They include me in sports and breaktimes and I never feel lonely.’
This year, Dian’s classmates decided to go one step further by supporting the charity Young Epilepsy as part of the school’s annual Aspiring Entrepreneurs Project.
The project is part of Mount Stewart’s Pupil Leadership Programme, which helps children learn about leadership, teamwork and running a business. Year 6 students form companies in groups of six, plan products or services to sell, and learn about managing money with help from teachers, parent Business Mentors, and HSBC finance workshops.
Mrs Patel, Assistant Head of Federation, explained why she launched the initiative in 2023:
‘I wanted to give the children a chance to showcase everything they had learnt as a final real-life project before they left us to embark on their secondary school adventure, whilst also bringing the whole community together.’
Last year, the project raised £4,635 for good causes.
When Dian found out that Young Epilepsy would benefit from this year’s project, he was delighted.
‘It made me feel very excited and proud because it’s a charity that supports me and other young children with epilepsy,’ he says. ‘It made me happy because, at the same time, my friends in my year group understand I have epilepsy and are helping me raise awareness of something that really matters to me.’
To help prepare for this year’s activities, Dian led a special assembly with help from his mum and cousin.
‘At first I was nervous and scared to stand up in front of everyone,’ admits Dian. ‘Sharing what I have been through was hard and emotional. I wanted to tell everyone there was nothing wrong with having epilepsy and that I can be like everyone else, but in my own way. I wanted to teach them what epilepsy is and what to do if someone is having a seizure. After I did the assembly, some friends said that I was brave and strong to stand up in front of everyone and talk about my journey. Some even said I was an inspiration!’
Dian’s story reflects the school’s ethos of helping everyone feel included and valued.
When asked what advice he would give to other young people with epilepsy, Dian said:
‘Always be brave and try not to think about when you might have a seizure. Always be strong and whenever you feel sad or scared, try to talk about your worries to a trusted adult, like a parent, family member or teacher.’
Mount Stewart Primary School and the community around Dian are showing how support and understanding can make a big difference.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
