Media Advisory: Teens with Epilepsy Are On a Mission to Make a Difference
WHAT: The Epilepsy Foundation will hold its annual Kids Speak Up! event to help support the Foundation’s mission to stop seizures, find a cure and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy. Kids Speak Up! is a national program that trains young ambassadors with epilepsy between the ages of 13 and 18 to become advocates in their local communities and in the nation’s capital. Their mission is to personally petition congressional leaders for aid in assuring better access to care, improved public awareness and education, as well as more funding for research toward a cure for epilepsy.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 3, 2012
WHERE: United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
WHO: 44 teens from across the country
Speakers include:
- Tony Coelho, former congressman and interim CEO, Epilepsy Foundation
- Frances Jensen M.D., president, American Epilepsy Society
- Marc Boutin, executive vice president and CEO, National Health Council
- Ryan Dillon, Epilepsy Foundation board member and recipient of the Sara Stubblefield Advocacy Award
WHY: Epilepsy is a neurological condition affecting nearly 3 million people in the U.S. One in every 10 people will have a seizure in their lifetime. In the U.S., epilepsy affects more than 300,000 children under the age of 15—90,000 of whom have severe seizures that cannot be adequately treated.
Click here for more information about Kids Speak Up!
Media Contacts:
Erica Hiar
ejh@ecius.net
(202) 296-2002
About Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. It is also called a seizure disorder. When a person has two or more seizures, they are considered to have epilepsy. Epilepsy affects nearly 3 million people in the U.S. and 50 million worldwide. This year, another 200,000 people will be diagnosed with epilepsy. There is no known cure for the disorder.
About the Epilepsy Foundation
The Epilepsy Foundation, a national nonprofit with affiliated organizations throughout the United States, has lead the fight since 1968 to stop seizures, find a cure and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy. For additional information, please visit www.facebook.com/epilepsyfoundationofamerica and www.twitter.com/epilepsyfdn.
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