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Epilepsy Foundation Salutes Steelers' Alan Faneca on Super Bowl Sunday

Landover, Md., February 2, 2006 -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to the Super Bowl and – to many people with epilepsy and their families – all eyes will be on Pittsburgh All-Pro Guard Alan Faneca. Why? It's because he has become an inspiration to almost 3 million Americans living with epilepsy.

Faneca was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 15. Now, at almost 30, the five-time All-Pro player is widely regarded by football legends and experts as one of the best offensive guards in the NFL.

Epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder in the United States after Alzheimer's disease and stroke. It is equal in prevalence to cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease combined. Epilepsy is not a single entity but a family of more than 40 syndromes that affect 50 million people worldwide.

Epilepsy is marked by recurring seizures. Seizures are caused by brief, spontaneous disturbances in the brain's electrical activity. The episodes can be traced to genetic abnormalities, head trauma, infectious diseases that spread to the brain, and other conditions. In the majority of cases, the cause is unknown.

Interviewed recently in EpilepsyUSA, Faneca discussed growing up with epilepsy and how he was never going to let it keep him from playing the game he loved. "I honestly didn't let [epilepsy affect me]," Faneca said. "I wasn't going to let it. I was going to do everything normally."

Faneca also discussed in the interview why he is so open about his epilepsy, and where he garners his strength to speak freely about this unfairly stigmatized condition. "My parents instilled in me the importance of telling people," he explained. "If you have a seizure and your family's not around, people need to know what's going on with you. By being open, you don't have to feel like you're hiding something. You don't have to feel inferior to your friends if that's how you're feeling. You can be yourself and be open about it and move on and do what you're able to do."

"We're big fans of Alan Faneca," explained Tony Coelho, chair of the Epilepsy Foundation. "We're tremendous fans of his, not only because of his on-the-field heroics, but mostly because of his courage to speak candidly about his own experience with epilepsy.

"It's very difficult for many people – especially celebrities – to admit to living with this unfairly stigmatized condition, let alone a five-time All-Pro football player," Coelho continued. "Thanks to Faneca, people living with epilepsy are finally seeing why epilepsy isn't a barrier to success."

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About the Epilepsy Foundation

The Epilepsy Foundation, a national non-profit with affiliated organizations throughout the United States, has led the fight against epilepsy since 1968. The Foundation’s goals are to ensure that people with seizures are able to participate in all life experiences; and to prevent, control and cure epilepsy through research, education, advocacy and services, so not another moment is lost to seizures.