Epilepsy is a common illness and many people don’t realize that millions of people worldwide suffer from some form of seizures.  One in a hundred Canadians has epilepsy meaning that most people probably know someone who has the illness.  But how much does the general public actually know about the condition?

One of the biggest problems for children with disabilities is a lack of compassion, support and understanding at school, not just from fellow classmates but from teachers too.  If a teacher doesn’t understand common conditions such as epilepsy or dyslexia symptoms can often be mistaken for bad behavior.

The answer of course is anyone can suffer from epilepsy!  Yet some members of the public don’t realize that epilepsy sufferers come from all walks of life.  It doesn’t matter their age, color, sex or background, it’s an illness that affects millions of people around the world. 

Whilst many of us worry that our kids watch too much television, there’s no doubting the power of TV to educate society, both youngsters and adults alike, about important issues. 

When it comes to epilepsy, breaking down the stigma and fear many people have is an important battle and one that two women decided to take on over 10 years ago.

What does a person with epilepsy look like?  ANYONE… is the simple answer!  Of course it’s impossible to tell whether someone has epilepsy just by looking at them… but the average person on the street may not know that and could have all kinds of misinformed beliefs about the illness. 

In a series of videos about epilepsy, Laura Yakes, Director of The Center for Seizure and Epilepsy Education in BC, Canada, hopes to break down those myths and stereotypes about the illness.  In one of the videos, reminiscent of the Diet Coke adverts, a hot guy walks into a coffee shop and immediately grabs the attention of three ladies having a drink.

It’s a sad fact that some epilepsy sufferers still experience discrimination in the work place, as a result of fear, ignorance and a lack of education about the illness.  When it comes to recruitment many employees might be tempted to rule out someone who has epilepsy simply because they don’t know the facts.

Laura Yakes, Director of The Center for Seizure and Epilepsy Education in BC, Canada decided to fight back against this kind of prejudice by producing a video with a tough message.

Having seizures at school can be a daunting experience for the child and parent, as well as teachers and other classmates.  Yet through education about epilepsy at school, the negative stigma that arises from fear of the disease can be dissolved, enabling a positive learning experience for all concerned. 

Hollywood star Meryl Streep was so moved by the Abrahams’ story that she decided to become involved in the fight to inform parents about the ketogenic diet.  She narrates and introduces the information video made by the Charlie Foundation which is available to parents across the world. 

Streep was close friends with movie director Jim Abrahams, who asked for her help to increase awareness of the ketogenic diet as a treatment for childhood epilepsy.  His son Charlie was successfully prescribed the diet and after a few days his seizures ceased completely.

Addressing the International Symposium on Dietary Therapy for Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders, mother and doctor Deborah Snyder reveals her first-hand experience of the ketogenic diet and its success in curing her son’s epilepsy.  She implores health professionals to recognise the efficacy of the diet in stopping seizures and aims to dispel the myth that the diet is too difficult or not worth the effort.

Advice and information about epilepsy is now available to people in the UK at the touch of a button.  The charity, Epilepsy Action, is providing a new text service for helpline users, allowing them to send their questions by SMS text message at any time of the day, 7 days a week.