Anyone newly diagnosed
The book you needed the week the neurologist first said the word.
A memoir
A Smile That Hid Pain
The Silent Battle Behind My Smile, My Mind, and My Strength
By La’Shera F. Randolph
Paperback · Hardcover
Why this story
“Behind every smile is a story that the world cannot see.”
The Story
What the book is about.
This is more than a story about seizures. It is a story about losing yourself, questioning everything you once believed, and finding the courage to listen to the voice within.
For years, I battled challenges that were invisible to most people around me. Behind my smile was a struggle with seizures, overwhelming side effects, personality changes, mental exhaustion, and a version of myself I no longer recognized. There were moments when fear tried to define me, when uncertainty clouded my future, and when I felt disconnected from the person I was meant to be.
But this journey became more than a fight for answers. It became a journey of faith, healing, self-discovery, and spiritual awakening.
This book is a reminder that your circumstances do not define your destiny. Your struggles do not determine your worth. Even in your darkest moments, there is purpose in your pain and strength being built within you.
Within these pages, you will discover
- The reality of living with seizures and the unseen effects that can impact every part of life.
- The power of spiritual awakening and learning to trust God’s plan, even when the path is unclear.
- The importance of self-advocacy and finding the confidence to trust your own voice.
- The beauty of healing naturally: mind, body, and spirit.
Who It Is For
You do not need epilepsy to need this book.
The people who love them
Parents, partners, and siblings trying to understand what they cannot feel.
Anyone carrying something invisible
Epilepsy is the subject. Being underestimated is the theme.
The Author
The person who lived it.
La’Shera F. Randolph
Founder, Epilepsy Dove
La’Shera F. Randolph is an author, singer, and epilepsy advocate who has lived with seizures for nearly three decades. In A Smile That Hid Pain, she shares her honest journey through seizures, medical challenges, medication side effects, relationships, healing, and personal growth.
Away from the page she sings, dances, writes poetry, and models. Singing is where she pours out her heart, usually from the bathroom, to her family’s regular annoyance.
Today she is on a spiritual and natural healing journey. Alongside her prescribed medication, she has added natural herbs, and over the past few years her seizures have decreased, something she is deeply grateful for. It is her own journey, not medical advice, so talk to your doctor before changing anything about your treatment.
With God at the center of her journey, La’Shera uses her voice to inspire hope, strength, awareness, and healing, and to create a safe and encouraging space for people affected by epilepsy and other life challenges.
Get your copy
Available now. Every copy funds the awareness work this site exists for.
Not ready to buy? Stay in touch.
Beyond the Book
The story started it. The rest is free.
Epilepsy Dove exists because one story was not enough. The memoir is where it started. The first aid guide, the printables, and the resources on this site are for anyone who needs them.
If the book brought you here, everything else on this site is free and yours to use.
Seizure First Aid
Stay. Safe. Side. Five minutes that change how you respond.
Free Resources
Printable toolkits, school and work guidance, and where to find support.