Congratulations to Dr Raj Balu, Consultant Paediatrician, who has published his first children’s book, Meera and the Glitch.
The book explores how children can experience and emotionally process epileptic seizures, drawing on Dr Balu’s more than 25 years of clinical experience in paediatrics across India and the UK.
The story follows nine-year-old Meera as she learns to live with epilepsy. She gives her seizures a name, “Glitch”, helping her find the words to describe something that can otherwise be difficult to explain to the people around her.
Dr Balu said: “It began with a particular kind of silence I kept seeing in clinic – the quiet look in the eyes of a nine-year-old who knows exactly what something feels like, but doesn’t yet have the words to tell the people they love.
“This story tries to bridge that silence.”
The book aims to help children understand that a seizure or epilepsy diagnosis does not define them. It is something that happens to them, rather than who they are.
Aimed at children aged nine to 12, Meera and the Glitch explores epilepsy, friendship, fear and courage.
It also includes information for parents and carers, a teacher’s guide with classroom strategies and discussion questions, and signposted epilepsy support resources for families.
Published on 1 September 2026, the book has received positive feedback from colleagues, epilepsy nurses and national epilepsy charities, who have been sharing it with families and schools.
Dr Balu will also be presenting on the subject at a regional paediatric epilepsy meeting, highlighting the role storytelling can play in helping children and families understand epilepsy.
Congratulations to Dr Balu on this achievement and for finding a creative way to help children make sense of a difficult diagnosis.
