Make November purple

October was breast cancer awareness month, and everything turned pink. Did you know that, on average, more people die in the US each year from epilepsy than from breast cancer? I've never been a really big "awareness" kind of person, but when you see your child and consequently your entire family suffer from such a terrible and unpredictable disease, it's hard not to be changed by that. I am saddened and angered by the lack of awareness of seizures and seizure disorders, but even more so by the lack of research and funding. There is so much more to be understood, and our loved ones need better treatment. It's out there, ready to be found, researched and utilized. We need to start with that ambiguous idea of "awareness," with all its oppressive email forwards, Facebook posts, colored apparel and accessories, bumper stickers, petitions, news articles, brochures, walk/runs... and for us, personal stories. And when enough of the public make enough noise -and raise many funds in the process- then we can start getting a lot more accomplished. For us, of course, we care most about Dravet syndrome, and that is why you will find me bugging you, at least twice each year, to donate to the fundraisers in which we participate for the Dravet Syndrome Foundation.
Segue...
You have one more day to shop Maddie's Mall at www.maddietischer.net. And while you're thinking of her, praise God for Maddie's birth five years ago on November 3rd. Though her light was stifled far too soon, her legacy is already beautiful and prosperous.

Remember to wear your purple-- put a button or ribbon on your coat, wear your dravetfoundation.org purple silicone bracelet... tell people about it. I told our service man and then our waitress today. Caught them off guard, but that's ok. :-) I'll be searching for good factoids, buttons, etc. and share them as I find them.

Start with this:  http://cureepilepsy.org/aboutepilepsy/facts.asp  about epilepsy in general. And of course the two Dravet sites at the top of this blog are amazing resources.