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Walk to End
Epilepsy Scheduled for Saturday, May 7,
at Cove Island Park in Stamford
Event Raises Critical Funds and
Awareness for the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut and
the Local Epilepsy Community
The
fifth annual Walk to END EPILEPSY, put on by
the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut, is
scheduled for Saturday, May 7, at Cove
Island Park in Stamford. The
Walk to End Epilepsy brings the community together
to affect change through care, advocacy, research
and education. This family-friendly walk will
feature speakers living with epilepsy who will share
their stories and join more than 100 people to
support the Epilepsy Foundation’s fundraising
efforts and help raise awareness about epilepsy.
Registration will begin at 9 am. The walk will start
at 10 am and be followed by a lunch.Registration
is available at epilepsyct.com/walk.
“We are excited to hold the Walk to
End Epilepsy in Stamford to further engage and
mobilize the community to be part of the fight to
end epilepsy,” said Elizabeth
Styblo, events coordinator for the Epilepsy
Foundation of Connecticut. “The Walk to END EPILEPSY
strengthens our current efforts and generates
funding to help families affected by epilepsy and
seizures in our local community.”
In our community, one in ten people
will have a seizure, and one in 26 will be diagnosed
with epilepsy. There are more people living with
epilepsy than Parkinson’s disease, multiple
sclerosis and cerebral palsy, combined. Yet,
epilepsy receives one-tenth the research funding
than any one of those disorders. In Connecticut
alone, there are more than 36,000 affected by
epilepsy. According
to the World
Health Organization ,
epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder
worldwide with no age, racial, social class,
national or geographic boundaries. The U.S.
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
estimates that 3.4 million people in the United
States are affected by epilepsy. It is the
underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures
which are sudden abnormal bursts of electrical
energy that disrupt brain functions.
That’s why hundreds participate
annually in the Stamford Walk to End Epilepsy,
hosted by the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut.
Together, the organization hopes to raise funds to
support awareness, training programs on seizure
recognition and first aid, as well as
self-management programs for people living with
epilepsy.
Among those who are walking this
year is hometown hero, Taylor Logan of
Trumbull, Connecticut. Taylor was diagnosed with
Epilepsy at just 16 years old. The diagnosis
scared her because she thought she wouldn’t be
able to accomplish the things she wanted to.
But, she has gone on to earn her bachelors in
business management with a minor in dance, her
masters in sports management, and her acceptance
into the Joffrey Ballet School. Taylor gives
back to her community and has taught dance,
coached soccer, been a camp counselor at a
summer camp for kids living with epilepsy and
been a mentor. She is now raising awareness of
epilepsy and inspiring others with epilepsy by
sharing her story and speaking at the Walk to
End Epilepsy in Stamford. She and her team, Team
Taylor, are walking with the goal of raising
$2,000 on behalf of the Epilepsy Foundation of
Connecticut.
Everyone who participates in the
Walk to End
Epilepsy —
by leading a team, making a donation, sponsoring
a person with epilepsy or volunteering — helps
fund awareness, training programs on
seizure recognition and first aid, as well as
self-management programs for people living with
epilepsy.
National Sponsors of the 2022
Walk to End Epilepsy include: Jazz
Pharmaceuticals, SK Life Science, Eisai, UCB,
and LivaNova.
About
the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut
EFCT, an affiliate of the
Nationwide Epilepsy Foundation, is a state-wide,
nonprofit charitable agency dedicated to helping
to improve the quality of life for people
affected by epilepsy and their loved ones. To
learn more, visit epilepsyct.com .
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