Why Your Gift Matters
The mission of the Epilepsy Foundation is: to lead the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and to accelerate therapies to stop seizures, find cures, and save lives.
Your donation ensures we continue to provide help and hope to the 3.4 million people living with epilepsy in the U.S. – and their families.
Why Should I Donate?
Your donation matters because …
Your gift will support nationwide programs that help improve epilepsy care, connect people affected by epilepsy to information and to each other, increase awareness about epilepsy and seizures, advocate for rights, prevent epilepsy and early death, educate about seizure first aid, and support research.
Epilepsy and seizures affect you or someone you love or someone you know. Epilepsy affects men and women of all ages and all races and ethnic groups. It is far more common than most people realize.
Epilepsy affects the entire family and can change lives, impede development, affect learning, cause accidents, impact livelihoods, cause injury, and even result in early death.
Giving Back to the Community: Alex's Journey
There are thousands of reasons to consider making a generous gift to the Epilepsy Foundation. Alex's story is one of those reasons. "Alex had normal experiences up until she began to crawl. That is when we noticed she wasn’t using her right arm or hand. We later found out she had suffered a stroke while in the womb. It was something no one knew about. The MRI results showed massive brain damage in her left hemisphere. During additional testing, it was discovered that Alex was having over 100 seizures a day. In turn, the stroke caused epilepsy. We received the epilepsy diagnosis in 2007 after some additional testing. When several medications failed to prevent her seizure activity, she underwent left hemispherectomy surgery. She was seizure-free for almost three years, but then the seizure activity unfortunately returned.
Alex will be 16 years old in November and although she will not medically be able to drive, which is something she looked forward to, she is healthy and is now taking well to the medications to control the seizures. She will always have no mobility in her right hand and right-side weakness, yet life continues. She is strong, she is courageous, and she overcomes. Giving back is important to us. We decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from our online store to the Epilepsy Foundation because we have lived right alongside Alex, and epilepsy, for almost 16 years. We understand the struggles families and adults face when living with epilepsy and disabilities. It only made sense for us to give back a portion of what we earn to help others on their journey in honor of Alex." - Anthony C, Alex's Dad
Learn More:
Our ImpactWhat Does My Donation Support?
Research and New Therapies
The Epilepsy Foundation is dedicated to supporting research and new therapies. Your donation supports investment in innovation, next generation scientists, and stronger engagement with stakeholders. With your generous help, we push for new ideas for epilepsy care and cures.
"We understand the struggles families and adults face when living with epilepsy and disabilities. It only made sense for us to give back a portion of what we earn to help others on their journey in honor of Alex."
Education and Programs for Individuals and Families
The Epilepsy Foundation provides a wide range of educational opportunities, programs, services, and resources for people living with epilepsy, families, and friends. Your donation helps us develop many programs and services tailored to local communities around the country. Programs include nationwide seizure training for school nurses and other personnel, child care personnel, first responders, care coordinators, medical interpreters, and epilepsy researchers. Your generosity also helps us maintain the world’s most visited and comprehensive website for people living with epilepsy.
Public Awareness
The Epilepsy Foundation works to help everyone understand what a seizure looks like and what to do if they see someone having a seizure. Your donation helps us ensure more and more people talk about epilepsy. Your generous gift allows us to make epilepsy more and more relevant to everyone. The more epilepsy becomes relevant to everyone, the less people living with the condition fear discrimination, worry about receiving improper first aid, or keep their epilepsy hidden in the shadows.
Educating the Community: Gracie's Story
"Boom! Lightning struck inside my brain on Sunday, October 10, 2021, at 10:38 a.m. I saw light as I scrolled through social media, but then I hit my head on a lamp, and everything turned black. I suffered a tonic-clonic seizure, and for three minutes, I convulsed, drooled, and jerked. After being unresponsive for thirty minutes, the light flickered again, but I was inside an ambulance this time. I wondered, "What happened? Why were the paramedics inserting an IV into my hand? Where were my parents?" One paramedic knew I was frightened, and he calmed me down. When I arrived at the emergency room, I had no idea what was waiting for me through the sliding door. My surroundings looked blurry. My head pounded. My left arm ached when I tried to move it. I felt nauseous and confused. After ten hours of blood work, scans, tests, and waiting, I discovered what it was: epilepsy. I was shocked, worried, and terrified of what the future held as I tried to process what had happened.
This experience has given me greater purpose and meaning. I have started to advocate for epilepsy awareness in my community. The Ohio High School Athletic Association and I are collaborating on a special project to spread awareness about seizure first aid. In addition, I am partnering with the Epilepsy Foundation to bring seizure first aid training and resources to my high school. I have organized an assembly, and with the help of a presenter from the Epilepsy Foundation, we will be sharing seizure first aid resources and skills in the health classes and at an upcoming staff meeting. Through educating my school community and sharing my story, I hope to help create a safe environment for all students living with epilepsy and help create a world free from epilepsy and free from fear of the next seizure." - Gracie T.
Advocacy
The Epilepsy Foundation is committed to people with epilepsy, their family members, and caregivers. Your donation helps us advocate for funding for epilepsy programs, research, and a cure; to policies that promote research and innovation; to improving access to and coverage of quality care and essential services; and to the protection of the rights of individuals with disabilities. Your generous gift allows us to engage federal and state governments to make a difference for people living with epilepsy and their families.
4 Star Rating
Charity Navigator has awarded the Epilepsy Foundation four out of four stars. This top rating indicates the Epilepsy Foundation adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way.
How To Donate
Learn More:
Find Your Way to Give"Through educating my school community and sharing my story, I hope to help create a safe environment for all students living with epilepsy."
Resources
Epilepsy Centers
Epilepsy centers provide you with a team of specialists to help you diagnose your epilepsy and explore treatment options.
Epilepsy Medication
Find in-depth information on anti-seizure medications so you know what to ask your doctor.
Epilepsy and Seizures 24/7 Helpline
Call our Epilepsy and Seizures 24/7 Helpline and talk with an epilepsy information specialist or submit a question online.
Tools & Resources
Get information, tips, and more to help you manage your epilepsy.
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