The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 65 million people worldwide suffer from a disease known as epilepsy. Not many people in the spotlight speak openly about the condition, but even some of the best minds in history like Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Allan Poe, Theodore Roosevelt, Charles Dickens, Elton John among others have suffered from unprovoked seizures.
Epilepsy
Derived from the latin word epilepsis, “epi” upon + “lepsis” seizure, is a condition in which a person has repeated seizures. During a seizure a high amount of your brain cells will be activated in abnormal agitated rhythms at the same time; imagine an “electrical storm”, but inside your brain.
These episodes have involuntary movements involving a part of your body or the whole of it and it’s sometimes followed by loss of consciousness. It can vary from short to long and they depend on many factors like genetic tendencies, medications, prior injuries to the brain, sleep-wake cycle and many others.
Purple Day
Not only the World Health Organization recognises epilepsy as a major public health concern. Different organisations like the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and Epilepsy Action Australia have led big campaigns to bring the disease “Out of the Shadows”, raise awareness and strengthen public and private efforts to improve care and reduce the impact of the disease.
One of these global initiatives to raise awareness of epilepsy, is known as Purple Day. Founded in 2008, by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan of Nova Scotia, Canada, who was motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy. She named the day Purple Day after the internationally recognised colour for epilepsy, lavender.
We are in this together
Epilepsy is not contagious. The most common type of epilepsy, which affects 6 out of 10 people with the disease, is called idiopathic epilepsy and has no identifiable cause. Cassidy started Purple Day in an effort to get people talking about the condition and to let those impacted by seizures know that they are not alone.
March 26th is Purple Day for National Epilepsy Awareness. With your support we can increase community awareness and understanding for people living with Epilepsy, support through Epilepsy Action Australia. Help us work towards a world free from the anxieties that come from not knowing if or when a seizure might strike.
We don’t want you to feel alone. My Medic Watch is a life saving app that helps coordinate immediate assistance when you experience a seizure by alerting caregivers and loved ones with your status and GPS location. Get My Medic Watch on your wrist today, download it now.
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