Bridget Kitching, Contributor
This March, Canadians have been honoring Epilepsy Awareness Month. On the 26th, many commemorate the occasion by wearing purple, the official color of the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance. Around 300,000 Canadians are diagnosed with the condition (Epilepsy Newfoundland and Labrador), But what is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes large bursts of electrical activity in the brain. Symptoms include stiffness, collapsing, uncontrollable shaking and tingling sensations in the arms or legs (National Health Service UK).
One of the first records of epilepsy can be traced back to a 4000 year old Akkadian tablet describing a man suffering from symptoms of a seizure. Roughly 1000 years later, Babylonians wrote a guide about epilepsy named “Sakikku”. Epilepsy has been around since the beginning of civilization, however, causes believed to produce seizures were not exactly accurate. As technology and science advanced, society began to learn more.
The Canadian Epilepsy Alliance was founded in 1998, to spread awareness and advocate for Canadians with epilepsy. The organization has collaborated with local charities and worked with Canadian communities to assist in medication shortages.
In 2008, the Alliance hosted its first Purple Day celebration; many charities would soon follow. Some Canadian epilepsy charities such as Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario and Epilepsy Toronto work towards finding better treatment for the condition as well as supporting Canadians with epilepsy.
So how can we at Saunders celebrate Purple Day? Wearing purple shirts, pants or other purple clothes shows support for epilepsy awareness. As an individual supporting charities, learning about epilepsy and listening to activists, professionals, and academics can contribute to spreading information and encouraging education about epilepsy.