Epilepsy Foundation Release: Annual National Walk for Epilepsy Calls on Thousands to Join the Fight for People Living With Epilepsy and Seizures
More than 2 million people in the U.S., including 80,000 people in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, are living with epilepsy. One in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy during their lifetime. Epilepsy—a medical condition characterized by recurring seizures—can affect anyone, of any age, at any time.
“We live with the knowledge that there is currently no cure for epilepsy. We must fight, fundraise and further advance awareness, services and medical research to help everyone affected by epilepsy,” said Phil Gattone, President and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation and the parent of a child with the condition.
“The National Walk for Epilepsy unites people who live with seizures with a powerful and unified purpose of combatting seizures and all of the collateral damage from having epilepsy in our lives. Epilepsy is not a single seizure or a single person, and I can only hope for my own child and the millions of others affected, that by raising our voices at the National Walk for Epilepsy, we can carry this cause to the next level – better understanding, better therapies and greater awareness.”
NEWS RELEASE
NATIONAL OFFICE
8301 Professional Place
Landover, MD 20785-2238
(301) 459-3700
150,000 People Are Newly Diagnosed Annually with Epilepsy in the U.S.
Unfortunately, current treatments for epilepsy do not work for more than 30 percent of the children and adults diagnosed -- leaving hundreds of thousands of Americans with no or inadequate control over their seizures and with risk of injury or even fatality.
The National Walk for Epilepsy has raised almost $7 million since its inception. Money raised advances access to care, funds research to find a cure and educates the general public about seizures and epilepsy. Each year, the event offers new opportunities for people with epilepsy to take charge of their health and lives.
This year, the public is encouraged to visit Walker’s Village, where partner organizations and sponsors will offer information, refreshments, and an “Ask the Experts” Q&A session with top neurologists.
The National Walk for Epilepsy is sponsored by Eisai Inc.; UCB, Inc.; Sunovion; Cyberonics; Upsher-Smith; Lundbeck; Supernus Pharmaceuticals; CSC; Jack Stone Signs; Giant; Bender Consulting Services; HOT 99.5; NBC4; Pepsico; and Peabody Press.
Hollywood celebrities, sport stars and music legends have appeared at the Walk. Participants this year include Greg Grunberg, star of ABC Family Network’s Baby Daddy and Lifetime Televisions’s The Client List; Geoffrey Pope, former New York Giants cornerback, and Tony Coelho, former U.S. Congressman from California and primary author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. On-air radio personality Bob Madigan (WTOP-FM) will serve as master of ceremonies. For more information or to register for the Walk, visit www.WalkforEpilepsy.org. Pre-registration is required and costs $35 per adult walker and $20 for each child 12 and under. Those who are unable to join the walkers in Washington, D.C. are encouraged to sign up as a virtual walker and walk in their own communities.
To learn more about epilepsy, visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org. ‘Like’ the Epilepsy Foundation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/epilepsyfoundationofamerica and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/epilepsyfdn.
About Epilepsy When a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, they have epilepsy, which affects over 2 million people in the United States and 65 million people worldwide.
About the Epilepsy Foundation
The Epilepsy Foundation, a national non-profit with affiliated organizations throughout the United States, has led the fight against seizures 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 services, education, advocacy and research, so not another moment is lost to seizures. For additional information, please visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org.