After Months of Seizures, Nyabhan Is Back to Learning and Playing

Three months ago, Nyabhan Yien’s family feared they were losing their five-year-old daughter.

Living in Luak Dong refugee camp in Ethiopia’s Gambella region, Nyabhan had been experiencing severe and recurring seizures. The episodes could cause her to fall suddenly, leaving her with injuries and making it difficult for her family to keep her safe. At one point, following a prolonged seizure that left her unconscious for hours, her family believed she had died and began preparing for her burial.

That story changed when Nyabhan was connected to healthcare services supported by GOAL through funding from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF).

Today, when Nyabhan arrives at the health facility for a follow-up visit, the scene is very different. She is alert, smiling and moving freely. Her family says she has not experienced a seizure or fall since starting regular treatment.

A life confined by seizures

Before she began treatment, Nyabhan’s seizures shaped almost every part of her daily life. Her sudden falls left her vulnerable to cuts and other injuries, while the fear of another episode meant her family struggled to let her move around independently.

Her mother, Nyachirmis Koway, had previously described the fear and distress that came with watching her daughter suffer repeated seizures.

With limited access to consistent treatment, Nyabhan’s condition had become increasingly difficult for the family to manage. The situation changed when a community health outreach team connected her to a GOAL-supported health facility, where she received a clinical assessment and was enrolled in ongoing treatment and follow-up care.

Treatment that changed the daily routine

Nyabhan began taking her prescribed medication, with health workers monitoring her progress through regular follow-up.

Months later, her family is seeing a significant change. “Since she started her treatment, she has not experienced a single fall or seizure,” says Mohammedin Tewfik, the GOAL health professional involved in her follow-up care. “Her condition has improved significantly, and this has brought great relief to her family.”

The change has also given Nyabhan’s mother greater freedom. No longer constantly worried that her daughter might fall or suffer a seizure while she is away, she can leave the shelter to collect assistance for the family.

During one recent follow-up visit, Nyabhan was accompanied by her sister, Nayen, while their mother was away receiving in-kind support.

A child with room to dream

Instead of spending much of her time inside the family shelter, she now walks to a local child-friendly space where she spends time with other children, looks through picture books and practises the alphabet.

Her sister says she sees a different child now. “She is a very strong child. She loves learning,” Nayen says. “I hope she can go to school, become a pilot one day and make our family proud.”

For Nyabhan’s family, these may sound like simple childhood activities. But after months of fear and uncertainty, being able to walk, learn, play and spend time with other children represents a profound change.

Nyabhan’s journey continues. With ongoing treatment and follow-up, she is once again able to do something that illness has taken away from her: simply be a child.