Today, March 26, is Purple Day, an International Epilepsy Day started by Cassidy Megan, a then 9 year old girl living with focal impaired awareness seizures in Canada. Purple Day is now celebrated worldwide. The goal of the day is to wear purple and promote epilepsy awareness.
Every year, Empowering Epilepsy takes that day a step further. Instead of just wearing purple, we hold 4 Purple Day Bowling Parties throughout Northeast Ohio. Our goal is to bring people together who understand epilepsy, allow them to meet others who support epilepsy awareness, and create positive, lasting memories! Today, we are celebrating the last of our 4 Northeast Ohio Purple Day Bowling Parties in the Akron area at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn.
Never knowing when or where you will have a seizure is stressful. While epilepsy specialists prescribe antiseizure medications, at least 50% of people living with epilepsy still have uncontrolled seizures. Providing the chance for people with epilepsy to meet others living with seizures is life changing. It allows them to feel validated, and helps them realize they are not going through this alone. Through our Purple Day Bowling Parties, we have brought so many people together in person who support epilepsy awareness. To everyone who has joined us, thank you! We are so happy these are back in person!!!
Purple Day also marks another important milestone for Empowering Epilepsy. March 26th is the 1 year anniversary of the grand opening of our Empowering Epilepsy Headquarters in Beachwood, Ohio. Last year over 100 people joined us from Cleveland East, Cleveland West, Akron, Columbus, and Youngstown to celebrate!
Our headquarters is so much more than just an office. In the past year at this location, we have:
Held a variety of conferences and talks with some of the top epilepsy specialists in the country
Held monthly art therapy classes
Held monthly age based support groups
Talked one on one with people who are searching for ways to better manage their seizures, began creating a patient education program
Worked with some amazing volunteers who helped us put together gift bags for patients in the epilepsy monitoring units of 6 local hospitals
Provided personalized epilepsy education so loved ones and community members better understand seizures and epilepsy.
Epilepsy is really a hidden disease. People are taught not to talk about it because having seizures involves losing control of your body. But, in order to get the general public to take epilepsy more seriously, we have to talk about it. We have to help others who are living with seizures alone. We need to bring people together who understand epilepsy together and show them and their loved ones what they can do.
My family really enjoyed the Purple Day Bowling Party yesterday! My daughter now knows others her age, by name, that have similar struggles with epilepsy. It warmed my heart to see her sit and talk with the other teens yesterday, to feel heard and understood. The bowling alley and food gave siblings and friends things to do while she had time to talk. They also learned a few things as well! Brochures provided will be used to help me educate her school staff when I meet with them regarding her seizures. I too enjoyed talking with other people and parents of children with epilepsy. The cups, kisses & pens were a nice perk! Thank you for all your hard work! >> An Appreciative Mother
Support Empowering Epilepsy on Purple Day. Visit empoweringepilepsy.org to learn more about epilepsy and seizures. Donate to help us change the conversation about epilepsy and seizures in Northeast Ohio. Help us show people living with epilepsy what they can do!