Sunday, October 9, 2011

As Autumn Approaches: Fall Into Epilepsy Awareness!

The days are growing shorter, the nights longer, the air is getting cooler, and the leaves are changing colors.  All of this indicates that we getting into the season of autumn.  As it approaches, we must remember first that November is Epilepsy Awareness Month.  A time to wear your purple proudly to promote Epilepsy Awareness as well as support any friends, family, or loved ones who deal with the effects of Epilepsy, or any other type of seizure disorder/syndrome.

Just wanted to let you know what events are coming up, within the next 30 days, to promote, celebrate, and be educated about Epilepsy Awareness.  Here is the run down, in order of appearance.







October 20th & 21st - UEA (Utah Education Association) Convention and Education Exposition
  • at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy.
  • the largest professional conference for educators in Utah
  • provides dozens of professional development workshops for K-12 educators
  • keynote speakers
  • a New Educators’ Workshop
  • the Idea Fair
  • hundreds of vendor booths, including the Epilepsy Association of Utah!
    • promoting awareness of Epilepsy to teachers, which will enable them with...
      • knowledge of how to deal with seizures in the classroom 
      • ability to discourage oppressive and stigmatizing comments made by classmates
        • so other students can get seizure smart as well!
      • ability to give rescue medication for long-lasting seizures
      • knowledge of awareness activities, events, and conferences




October 22nd - Halloween Carnival, called Whispers in the Park 
The Annual Halloween Carnival is an awareness and fundraising campaign, held in October, to celebrate the Spirit of All Hallows Eve. Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. Of shorter days and longer nights, of roaming between life and death. It's a time when we shed who we are and become the playful, frightening things we have always wanted to become. With gentle whispers, the Epilepsy Association of Utah is taking the superstition and mysticism out of living with Epilepsy and putting those things where they belong: Halloween.
  • at West Jordan Memorial Park
  • from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
  • Raffles
  • Vendors
  • Live Performers
  • Battle of the Rockbands (the game!)
  • Cake Decorating
  • Costume Contest
  • Games & Activities
  • Photos
  • and MORE!







November 3rd  - Artilepsy: Visualizing Hope
  •  Free Art Galleryby people of all ages who are affected by Epilepsy.  
    • With statistics of 1 in 26 people developing Epilepsy, we are all affected by it, so there is no reason to not enter in your creation, no matter the media type.  :D
  • Entries due October 22nd
  • Many Mediums
    • computer assisted graphics
    • creative arts (home crafts)
    • fine arts (paint, pencil, watercolor, oils, etc) 
    • music composition
    • photography 
      • Be sure to read through the description on the facebook page to access the entry forms and other deatils.  (Link to facebook is above.) 





 November 4th - Night Among the Stars Gala
Come and celebrate a black tie evening and dinner to help Utahn's dealing with epilepsy. Dinner will be held at Noah's in South Jordan, Utah. Tickets are available for $100/plate or $700 per table of eight. We will be also selling gold and silver dedication stars for $10 and $24 each which will hang at the gala. Let a loved one know you think they are a star!  Click on the link above to register.





November 5th - Seizure Smart Education Conference.
This is a great opportunity to come and meet with a few neurologists and find new information from the medical community. It is also a great place to get outside references. We will have the privilege of hearing from Glenn Fenster. Glenn has bicycled six times across the United States to raise awareness for epilepsy on behalf of his son and all those affected by epilepsy. 
  • at the U of U Neuroscience Building
  • 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
  • FREE to attend 
  • get seizure smart
  • workshops/classes to educate yourself and others about Epilepsy. 
    •  including a breakout session with Holly E. Ferrin about dealing with the social stigma and oppressive forces of Epilepsy.   

 We've got a busy autumn coming up, but with all the activities and events we have coming up, I am sure that it will be easy to "Fall into Epilepsy Awarenss!"


 Be sure to follow us on Facebook & Twitter for live updates!  



Thanks everyone, for your continued support!








Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Camp Video!

Yes, here it is, the video for Camp Spike and Wave 2011.  If you were there, comment with your favorite moment.   And if you weren't there, comment with some things that look exciting.  Can't wait to see you next year! 



See more posts about Camp from 2011!
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

Coming Soon!  The Camp Spike and Wave book from 2011

contact Holly for any questions about Camp, photos, video, book, or registration! 
holly@epilepsyut.org

Thanks for your support!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Laser Ablation - Epilepsy freedom for patients?

Although this procedure will not help everyone, as many as 35% of people with Epilepsy can be helped and sometimes cured. Talk to your Doctor about it today!



Columbia University researchers state that "An estimated 1 in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy in their lifetime, a risk that translates to about 12 million people in the United States", a number that is much higher than the CDC reports.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Camp Spike & Wave - Day 3

Another great day! (and a later night!)
The high ropes course is definitely a camp highlight!
Horse riding is wonderful.  Can we get ponies when we come home?
Smores - a great way to end a fun day!

Climbing the cargo net

What a great view!

Gimme 5!

Working together

Keep your balance!



New recruits?

More balancing acts


Giddyup!

Hey cowby!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Camp Spike & Wave - Day 2

Ah, the fun has begun!

We started out our day in a great way - climbing the rock wall.  The kids are quite the squirrels - many made it all the way to the top to ding the bell - 32 feet up!  Cycling was on the schedule as well today.  No, we didn't just ride regular old two-wheel bikes.  We got to try out adaptive bikes - so cool!  Crafts, you bet!  We made bottle cap necklaces, I-Spy bottles, and tie-dyed t-shirts.  The Lynch family came up to volunteer for the day.  We played a great game of Sardines with them and had fun with them at the pool.  Their fundraiser, Laps for Lyndsay, helped with camp tuition this year.  Thanks, Lynches!  We ended the day at the Kamas Rec Center pool.  Do we have to get out???


Biking - the good life!

Tie-dying - not as messy as you'd think!


What a great way to cool off!


Waiting our turns and planning out our routes to the top!

Blindfolded?  Piece of cake!

Easy does it!

Biking
The Lynch Family
The gang's all here!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Camp Spike & Wave - Day 1

Well, we're here!  We got a taste of the fun we're going to have - and now we're ready to have fun tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday!
Dinner from Madeline's was great - thanks!
"Flight of the Navigator" was the feature of movie night - check it out!

Checking out the campus.  Look at that ropes course we'll be on by the end of the week!

Visiting with the horses.

Telling stories.

More story telling.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Upsher-Smith Laboratories Begins Phase III Study Of Intranasal Midazolam For Rescue Treatment Of Seizure Clusters In Epilepsy Patients

Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. announced the initiation of a Phase III clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of USL261, an investigational intranasal midazolam, for the rescue treatment of seizures in patients on stable anti-epileptic drug (AED) regimens who require control of intermittent bouts of increased seizure activity, frequently referred to as seizure clusters. USL261 has been granted orphan drug designation for this use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Upsher-Smith Laboratories Begins Phase III Study Of Intranasal Midazolam For Rescue Treatment Of Seizure Clusters In Epilepsy Patients