March is Epilepsy Awareness Month, so we are all encouraged to show our support by wearing the international epilepsy awareness colour: purple.
The idea is to break down the stigma around epilepsy and talk about it. Learn what it is, what it means and show understanding to those who live with seizures.
The official Purple Day is March 26. This date falls on the Saturday during the Easter break this year, but you can get behind Epilepsy Awareness Month by encouraging children to wear purple any time throughout March.
It’s a good time to talk about the different health issues people live with. Discuss how we might not be able to see those health issues at a glance, but how they can affect people’s lives. Promote sensitivity and understanding, and highlight the importance of supporting one another.
Here’s a little bit of info about epilepsy to help us understand the nature of it and its prevalence:
“Epilepsy is a common brain disorder which takes the form of recurring seizures. It can develop at any age, regardless of gender or ethnicity. An estimated 65 million worldwide currently live with epilepsy – in Australia alone approximately 250,000 people live with epilepsy and one in 25 people will have epilepsy at some point in their life.” (Epilepsy Australia)
So pick a day, to GO PURPLE this month! You’ll be helping to raise awareness for epilepsy and support those affected by it. It’s really simple to host a Purple Day fundraiser at your centre too, so click here to find out more.
Together we can help shape the way a generation understands health issues like epilepsy and create networks of knowledge and support.