Epilepsy in Motion

Becoming involved in activities that help to promote epilepsy awareness is a good way to raise consciousness in your community, connect with others living with epilepsy and seizures, increase your knowledge about this disorder, and become a participant in dispelling the many myths that can have a negative impact on how you are perceived.  In recent years, the number of opportunities to become involved has increased tremendously.  And, with events now occurring online, you don’t even need to leave home!

• Social Networking: Online services like Facebook, Friendster, MySpace, and Twitter, etc., have emerged and rocketed to popularity because of their convenience, speed and promise of increasing your “friendship” base.  LinkedIn offers you an opportunity to grow your business connections.  Match.com and similar sites propose a new way to meet a significant other. On line communities (E-communities) have also developed which offer chat rooms and continuing conversation about any given topic.
  - Blogs offer commentary and invite interaction about a myriad of subjects.  Epilepsy sites of these varieties offer an opportunity to meet people, struggling as you may be as a caregiver, parent or adult with epilepsy, and gain information, share stories and learn about events.
  - User Beware: It is important to understand the privacy and security policies that are in place before you “becomes a member” of any online social network.

• Community Events/Fundraisers: Money is tight everywhere, but nowhere tighter than for organizations trying to find donors to support their programs.  However, fundraising is an important part of the budget for any agency improving the lives of people with epilepsy, especially because grant monies are at a premium, and much of the governmental support is decreasing or disappearing.  So, support the local fundraising efforts of agencies that are supporting you and join in the fun.  A sampling is below…
  - Walks:
  - Yearly National Epilepsy Foundation Walk 
  - Epilepsy Foundation Affiliate Walks
  - Private Individual Epilepsy Walks
  - Bowl-a-Thons
  - Mud-Volleyball Tournaments
  - Golf Outings
  - Mardi Gras
  - Gala Events

• Epilepsy Advocacy: There are opportunities on a state and national level for people with epilepsy and their caretakers of any age to let their voices be heard.  You can become involved in asking your government officials about research funding, employment advocacy, medication switching, and a host of legislative issues that are before congress now or ask for others to be introduced.

Epilepsy Life Links
http://www.epilepsylifelinks.com

Epilepsy Foundation Advocacy
http://epilepsyfoundation.org/advocacy/