Mentor and lived-experience advocate
Christine Cooper-Smith is a mentor and advocate whose contribution to Stories of Strength draws on more than forty years of living with epilepsy. Her chapter biography describes disrupted education after a diagnosis in adolescence, followed by a return to study and the completion of a university degree and a graduate diploma in Visual and Performing Arts, specializing in dance therapy.
Faith, creativity, mentorship and community are important parts of Christine's account. In Quiet Strength, she examines what happens when an illness affects a person's confidence, relationships and sense of possibility as well as their health. She also describes the importance of safety, honest communication and knowing when to seek support.
Christine's writing connects independence with understanding one's needs. Boundaries, repeatable routines and trusted relationships feature in the chapter, alongside the wish to be recognized as a whole person rather than reduced to a diagnosis.
Her contribution speaks to readers navigating an invisible illness or supporting someone who is. It offers lived experience and reflection; it does not establish that mentoring, dance or a particular routine treats epilepsy or replaces medical care.
BOOKS