Ouida Foster and her husband lived, traveled and worked in places like Australia and Shanghai - but that changed in 2006 when in the middle of the night Foster had a seizure and was later diagnosed with epilepsy.

Upon her diagnosis Foster and her family found that they did not know much about epilepsy. It lead to a period of self-education as Foster bought and read as many books as she could get her hands on.

She discovered that not only was there little public understanding of what epilepsy is, but that the disorder is also very common.

According to Foster, one in every 26 people in the U.S. will develop epilepsy in their lifetime.

"You’re in a crowded room, you look around, there are people who are guaranteed to have it or know someone who has it," Foster said.

Contrary to the common misconception that seizures only cause a person to jerk and shake, Foster suffers from complex partial seizures, which cause Foster to "go blank" and become unaware of her surroundings.

After her diagnosis, Foster resigned from her job and had to give up her driver’s license, thus losing her ability to drive – something she loved to do.

"I went to work one day and I never went back again," Foster said. "Your life changes."

As Foster adjusted to life with the neurological condition, her family was there to help. In particular, Foster said, her daughter has been her bulwark.

She and her daughter often travel together, and her daughter has always been there to keep an eye out. Whether they are on a plane or at a PTO meeting, her daughter knows how to recognize the sign of a seizure and guide her mom to a place to sit quietly until it passes. When the seizure ends, her daughter is there to guide Foster back.

Her daughter once even saved Foster from stepping into the road in front of a car.

"My daughter is a champ," Foster said.

Over the past 11 years Foster has met with a series of doctors, and tried a plethora of drugs to try and control the seizures. When the drugs didn’t have much effect, Foster and her team of doctors at Mass General Hospital looked to other treatments.

This is when Foster learned of the NeuroPace. A new device, the NeuroPace acts similar to a pacemaker, for the brain.

It is implanted in the patient’s brain where it records brain activity, analyzes and looks for patterns that indicate the beginning of a seizure so that it can attempt to stop the seizure, according to Andrew Cole, MD director, Mass General Hospital Epilepsy Service.

"It has the ability to detect whatever pattern you teach it," said Cole.

For Foster, the NeuroPace has made a world of difference.

After receiving the NeuroPace in 2014, Foster does not suffer from seizures as frequently and has been able to take a part-time job. Though she works from home, her new job has helped Foster feel like she is back in the world again, and it has been thrilling.

"I’m still in a house in Brookline but I’m back out in the world again," Foster said.

The NeuroPace has also allowed Foster to fly by herself. Recently, Foster was able to fly solo to meet her husband in Portugal. Though she did suffer a small seizure when the plane was landing, Foster considered the trip a success.

"No one feels really good when they’re getting off a plane anyway," she said with a smile.

The device has also improved doctors’ visits. Before getting the NeuroPace, Foster relied on a diary of her seizures to review with her doctors, which was a cumbersome process. That has changed because the the NeuroPace tracks and sends data to Foster’s doctors so that when she meets with them they already have the information.

"We immediately jump into dynamic, active, empowered action," Foster said.

Up next, Foster hopes to get her license back, but to do that she first must go an entire year without a seizure. Foster’s father-in-law has promised her a trip to the Audi Racing School if she is able to drive again.

With the NeuroPace helping to give her independence, Foster has turned her attention to spreading awareness about epilepsy – what it is, what to do if someone is having a seizure and what the treatment options are.

One of the myths about epilepsy that Foster hopes to dispel is the idea that there is only one type of seizure, when in fact there are multiple kinds.

The NeuroPace has introduced Foster to many people around the country diagnosed with epilepsy who, like Foster, have volunteered through their hospitals to help speak to patients about the NeuroPace.

Through the group Foster has found a new network of friends.

"They’re a support group to me, to be a support group to others," she said.

As she continues to educate and help others with epilepsy, Foster has her sights on one thing – a cure.

"Everyone wants to get better, but what you really want is there to be no seizures at all, you want there to be a cure," she said.

This article has been updated to clarify that one in 26 people in the United States willl develop Epilepsy. It has also been corrected to reflect that Foster recieved the NeuroPace in 2014.