Today is Purple Day. People in countries around the world are encouraged to wear purple and host events in support of epilepsy awareness.
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder of the central nervous system, specifically the brain, characterized by the tendency to have reoccurring seizures.
What is a seizure?
A brief, a normal, excessive surge of electrical activity in the brain that produced a sometimes noticeable change in behavior.
There are three main categories: Focal Onset, Generalized Onset, or Unknown Onset. The category is determined by the location of the seizures activity within the brain at the start of the seizure. They can also be described as either motor or non motor, depending on whether or not muscle movement was involved.
The Start of Purple Day
In 2008, Cassidy Morgan created the idea of Purple Day, motivated by her own struggles. The Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia joined in 2008 to help develop the idea.
In 2009, the Anita Kaufmann Foundation (NY, USA) and Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia joined forces for an international launch of Purple Day! This lead to the involvement of countless organizations, schools, politicians, businesses, and celebrities around the world.
50 million people have epilepsy, world wide, an estimated 1 in 100 people.
It is estimated that there are more than 300,000 Canadians and 2.2 million Americans living with epilepsy.
Currently, there is no cure for epilepsy.
Not everyone can identify events or circumstances that affect seizures but some str able to recognize triggers Some triggers are:
- Forgetting to take [prescribed] seizure medication
- Lack of sleep
- Stress or excitement
- Hormonal changes
- Flickering lights/flashes
- Bright lights
- Street drugs
Many famous people are known, or suspected of, having had epilepsy.
- Julius Caesar
- Caligula
- Alexander the Great
- Joan of Arc
- Charles Dickens
- Thomas Edison
- Harriet Tubman
- Lewis Carroll
- Vincent Van Gogh
- Danny Glover
- Edgar Allan Poe
- Alan Faneca (New York Jets)
- Neil Young
- Prince
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Lily Wayne
- Adam Horovitz
- Amy Lee
Ways you can help promote Purple Day and Epilepsy
- Hold a fundraiser to support you local epilepsy agency
- As local business to help you promote Purple Day
- Volunteer with local association
- Organize a local walk/run
- Share epilepsy information on social media
- Donate to your local epilepsy agency
- Donate to the global epilepsy sponsors
More information can be found at the websites listed below.
Hope to see pictures of you in your purple or reading your purple books! 🙂
#purpleday #epilepsy #epilespyawareness #wearpurple #invisibleillness
-C
Books with a Chance of Traveling 