6th Edition of Neurology World Conference 2026

Biography

An International Voice For Epilepsy! Ann Marie O'Connor is an Education Assistant supporting special needs students, a Town Councillor in Oyen, Alberta, Canada and a motivational speaker for epilepsy. Her journey with epilepsy began at just two and a half years old. At age three, prolonged grand mal seizures left her right side paralyzed for nearly a year. Her seizures stopped at age ten, only to return at twenty — a devastating turning point in her life. At 32, Ann Marie sought a second opinion and underwent comprehensive surgical evaluation. On December 3, 2002, she received surgery - Left Selective Amygdalohippocampectomy. After experiencing six grand mal seizures two days prior to surgery — her final seizures — the procedure was a success and she has remained seizure-free ever since. One year after surgery, she was invited to speak at an epilepsy conference in Edmonton, Alberta — the beginning of her international advocacy work. She has since spoken across Canada, the United States, England, South Africa, and Spain. Ann Marie is also the author of a children's book, The UNSTOPPABLE Girl Who Beat Epilepsy! Her passion is sharing hope, raising awareness, and helping others recognize the life-changing potential of epilepsy surgery. Ann Marie BEAT epilepsy, she didn't let it beat her