Thankful Thursday - It's a Family Affair

I am writing this on Epilepsy Awareness Day, Purple Day - March 26, 2026, and we’re holding space for both the strength and the reality of this journey.

Harper is living with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) and intractable, uncontrolled epilepsy. It’s a diagnosis that impacts every part of her life—not just seizures, but her memory, her emotions, her physical abilities, and her sense of safety in her own body. Epilepsy is so often misunderstood as “just seizures,” but for those living it, it’s a storm within the body that cannot be predicted or controlled. The neuropsychological impact is profound, and it deserves far more visibility, understanding, and conversation than it currently receives.

Today, Harper is a little tired—but she’s still showing up, proudly wearing her purple 💜

We are incredibly thankful for the work of Empowering Epilepsy. Through their Patient Education Program, we’ve found not only knowledge, but validation. They have created a space where the full reality of epilepsy is acknowledged—including the mental health impact that so many families quietly carry. That validation matters more than words can fully capture. It reminds us that we are not alone, and that what we are experiencing is real, complex, and worthy of support.

If there is one thing we are most thankful for today, it is understanding—the kind that goes beyond surface-level awareness and truly sees the whole picture of this disease. Because understanding leads to compassion, better care, stronger support systems, and ultimately, hope.

💜 #EpilepsyAwarenessDay #EmpoweringEpilepsy #ThankfulThursday #LGS

Nickole

Mentor, Ohio