Just a little less than a year ago, AEW talent Serena Deeb uploaded a vulnerable and moving video about her struggles with seizures, which caused her to be absent from the wrestling ring for more than a year.
Deeb recounted having three unprovoked seizures, and not being able to find out why these medical scares occurred. The video was hard for her to release, and she considered at one point not even going public with her experience. But, now that she has connected with so many fans who have resonated with what she went through, Deeb is happy that she shared her story.
In a recent interview with Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone, Deeb described her interactions with fans who were moved by her post.
“This past weekend, I was doing a show,” she said. “I had a woman come up to me and said ‘I just want to really thank you. When you shared your story, that made me feel less alone because I’ve had seizures my whole life.’ And same kind of deal, [she] didn’t know [why]. She tried to figure out as well. Doesn’t know what caused them. She told me she’s been seizure-free for about five years now, which is incredible. That’s just one example of so many interactions I’ve had since last October when I made that video. People who have gone through the same thing, [and] people at those points of their lives have felt really defeated, really scared, almost crippled. It’s like you’re not in control of your own body and your own mind. Just talking to those kind of people over the past year has really touched me. As scary as it was to put out that video, because I almost didn’t put it out, it’s validated, right? I’m so happy that I put that video out, because it’s allowed me to connect with so many people. And I think connection, that’s what were here for.”
Deeb was cleared to wrestle late last year and made her in-ring return in January, appearing on AEW programming for the first time since late 2022. She has since appeared in a few notable matches, including a title match against Toni Storm in May. On Wednesday night, she’ll go up against Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. as part of AEW Dynamite’s 5th-year anniversary show.
She told WrestleZone what it’s been like since returning, and how performing after being out for so long is like “starting from scratch.”
“Momentum as a professional wrestler is so important,” she said. “Unfortunately, I have dealt with a couple of injuries, and the seizures were the longest of those. I was out for well over a year. It’s hard because when you get back, it’s like you’re starting from scratch. The audience knows you, but it takes a lot. There’s a climb back, and that’s what I’ve been doing since January when I started wrestling in AEW again. I believe I’m doing the best work of my career right now. I think I’ve done the best work of my career at AEW, and I’m really grateful for that. But, it is a climb.”
The full interview, including Deeb’s thoughts on her upcoming match with Baker, can be watched here.
