Olivia Miles on the Moment Her Life Changed Overnight, and Staying Positive while Living with Severe Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Olivia Miles is an epilepsy and chronic illness advocate who lives with severe drug-resistant epilepsy and has survived a rare form of autoimmune encephalitis (now in remission after years of infusion treatment). In this episode of Her Kind of Brave, Olivia shares what it’s really like to live with weekly seizures, the grief of losing everyday freedoms like driving and independence, and the invisible aftermath people don’t see — including the post-seizure mental health crash and the constant recalibration of expectations.

She also opens up about her experience with clinical trials, including a highly invasive trial involving implanted devices, and her next step: deep brain stimulation (DBS), a treatment being used to reduce seizure severity and frequency. Along the way, Olivia and the girls talk SUDEP, the power of community, and the mindset shift that helps when your body won’t follow the plan: take the step you can take — even if it’s smaller than you hoped.

Guest bio: Olivia Miles is an epilepsy and chronic illness advocate and public speaker. After experiencing her first seizure at 21, Olivia was diagnosed with a rare form of autoimmune encephalitis (now in remission after years of infusion treatment) and later developed severe drug-resistant epilepsy. She has tried multiple treatment pathways including medications, cannabis oil, device-based therapies, and clinical trials — and is now preparing for deep brain stimulation. Olivia shares her story to reduce stigma, grow awareness of epilepsy risks like SUDEP, and remind others that even with an unpredictable body, you can still walk toward a life that feels like yours — one step at a time.

You can find Olivia on Instagram at @livmiles

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