All In for National Epilepsy Awareness Month

By Kelsey Knott Photos Provided 

November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, and Kentuckiana is all in! The Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana is making a comprehensive effort this month to raise awareness and empower those living with epilepsy, ensuring they feel supported. 

Living with epilepsy means that surges of electrical activity in the brain can cause repeated seizures. While it is the fourth most common neurological disorder in the world, about half of the people living with epilepsy have an unknown cause. Doctors can trace some causes to genetics, brain trauma, autoimmune disorders, metabolic issues, or infectious diseases, but each case presents varying signs and will receive different diagnoses and treatment options. Anyone can develop epilepsy, but many live with the disorder and handle regular work and home responsibilities through its challenges, which can include more than seizure emergencies, like thinking and memory, moods and behavior, sleep issues, bone health, social concerns, and in rare cases, early death. 

The Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana is a nonprofit organization that offers a wide range of programs and services to those living with or caring for someone with epilepsy. Newly diagnosed adults and children can reach out to the foundation to receive their Epilepsy Toolkit, equipping them for the start of their journey with the disorder and fostering a better understanding of how to live their best life with it. The foundation also offers workshops and support groups, instilling a sense of community through multiple formats, like virtual meetings, mentorships, email networks, online discussion forums, and even art therapy group gatherings. In addition to helpful tools and community opportunities, they offer financial help, such as prescription assistance for those who qualify and scholarships for students pursuing higher education. 

Those of all ages living with the disorder can find support and empowerment through the resources and events made available by the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana. School-aged children can take part in the Youth Epilepsy Alliance, which meets in Louisville, Lexington, and Paducah for free activities where families can get to know one another in a fun and safe space. For veterans of all eras, Operation Outreach can help both veterans and their families navigate military-specific post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), post-traumatic stress (PTSD), and seizures. The foundation website at efky.org is an incredible resource for both education on what epilepsy entails as well as training for educators and others wanting to prepare for seizure first aid, still emphasizing the truth that managing epilepsy goes beyond seizure control and that mental health is vital to one’s overall well-being.

The most exciting ways to get involved with this nonprofit are through the upcoming events planned for National Epilepsy Awareness Month this November: 

• Shine together for epilepsy at The Expressions of Hope Gala on Friday, November 7th at Angel’s Envy Bourbon Club at L & N Cardinal Stadium, and register online to RSVP. 

• On Friday, November 14th, get ready to rumble for a cause in Carrollton at the Purple Reign event, an action-packed professional live wrestling show featuring one of NWA’s biggest stars, Big Mama! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online. 

• The next day at the Hilton Garden Inn, EF Kentuckiana’s Epilepsy Empowerment Statewide Conference will provide a day of epilepsy education and community building for those living with or caring for someone with the neurological disorder. 

• Spend a Night under the Purple Lights on Tuesday, November 18th, for a walk along the Big Four Bridge as it glows purple in celebration of National Epilepsy Awareness Month. 

• On Monday, November 24th, The Jeffersonian will host the Kentucky Veterans of the Year Dinner, an initiative for the foundation’s signature veterans program: Operation Outreach. 

• Proclamation signings will take place on Monday, November 3rd in Lexington with Mayor Gorton, Tuesday, November 11th with Mayor Greenberg in Louisville, as well as on November 13th with Governor Beshear in Frankfort. 

Perhaps you’ve been inspired to give back in a more consistent manner. The Purple Spark Membership program is a monthly gift campaign that ignites change and brings comfort during uncertainty, funding education, advocacy, and life-saving services. As a donor, count on becoming a source of light, steady support, and lasting hope for individuals and families in our community affected by epilepsy, honoring those we’ve lost and lifting up those still fighting. 

Let’s reduce the negative stigma associated with epilepsy this November! When you donate at efky.org, your gift can help educate, advocate, and find cures. Follow their Facebook page and join the Epilepsy Foundation for this month’s events to take action together and show that Kentuckiana is all in!