Epilepsy Foundation East Tennessee

The Epilepsy Foundation of East Tennessee was founded in 1978 by John Duncan, current U. S. Congressman from East Tennessee, and others who shared his concern for people with epilepsy.  These leaders sought to address the issues of people with seizure disorders, to educate the public on how to react appropriately in the presence of someone having a seizure, and to lessen the overall impact of epilepsy on the community.  Our Foundation provides the following services:

• Free up-to-date information such as books, videos, and brochures, including both the social and medical aspects of epilepsy.
• Free seizure first aid education programs for schools, day cares, churches, businesses and anyone in the community interested in learning about epilepsy.
• Community referral services to assist individuals in locating additional resources, including assistance with legal, medical, vocational, transportation and housing, and insurance issues.
• Emergency financial assistance for individuals diagnosed with epilepsy for medication, doctor visits and diagnostic tests such as MRI’s.
• Assistance with pharmaceutical programs, which help individuals to locate and/or obtain discounts on prescribed seizure medications
• Emergency dental care for issues pertaining to seizures (such as side effects from medication or injury due to a seizure)
• Volunteer opportunities for individuals interested in promoting epilepsy awareness through fundraising, community events, public speaking and communications.
• Camp scholarships for children with epilepsy.
• Helmets at no cost for individuals who cannot afford them in order to reduce head injury, which is the number one and only preventable cause of epilepsy.