Disney star and 20-year-old philanthropist Cameron Boyce tragically passed away on July 6th. It was confirmed by Boyce's family and coroner that Boyce suffered from epilepsy, and passed away from a seizure that had occurred during his sleep.

Epilepsy is a condition that affects about three million individuals in the United States alone and 65 million individuals worldwide. It is characterized by abnormal neuron activity in the brain, which leads to uncontrollable muscle spasms and seizures. The onset of epilepsy can be caused by brain trauma or genetics. There currently is no cure for epilepsy, although medications can be prescribed to prohibit seizures by blocking electrical activity in the brain.

Boyce's death hit me really hard because of how close in age he is to me, but especially because my older sister also suffers from epilepsy. She was diagnosed six years ago when one morning she was just casually having her breakfast. She suddenly fell to the ground, spasming and foaming out of her mouth while my parents cried and tried to get her to regain consciousness. Tears streamed from my eyes while my fingers were fumbling, attempting to dial 9-1-1 on the home phone.

"Please come, something's wrong with my sister."

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know."

The scariest aspect of epilepsy is how unpredictable it is. Seizures can and will strike at any time. My sister has had a seizure on the train, and once in a fitting room at the store she worked at. She was found over an hour later by her coworker, passed out in the stall.

Boyce passed away from a complication of the condition called SUDEP, which stands for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. The event itself is rare but fatal. SUDEP accounts for 17% of epilepsy-related deaths. His family explained to fans that Boyce had been struggling with epilepsy for years, but managed to live with the condition with anti-epileptic drugs. These drugs, however, do not have an efficacy rate of 100%. They can control seizures, but cannot completely eradicate the possibility of them.

Numerous articles have started to circulate after Boyce's death, explaining what epilepsy is and that however silent it may be, it is also equally dangerous. Boyce battled the condition for years and kept it completely unknown to his enormous and adoring fanbase.

Boyce's death has hit the entire world very hard because we all simultaneously grew up with Boyce as we watched him liven up our television screens. The gaping chasm left in the world left by Boyce's death will never be filled; his altruistic, selfless, and invigorating demeanor will never be forgotten. His passing away will also hopefully shed light on the debilitating aspects of epilepsy.

Rest in peace, Cameron Boyce. May 28, 1999 — July 6, 2019.

You can make donations to the Epilepsy Foundation of America, here.