Indiana

Our Mission

Our mission is to lead the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and to accelerate therapies to stop seizures, find cures, and save lives.

Statement from Epilepsy Foundation of Indiana on Cathedral Basketball Player Being Taunted for Having Battled Seizures

Seizure Safe School Act

One of the most common facts that is shared within the epilepsy community is that 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime. Did you also know that there are 3.4 million Americans currently living with epilepsy and seizures, and 470,000 of those Americans are children? Despite the prevalence, epilepsy is still highly misunderstood by the public and stigmatized. For students living with epilepsy, it is important that schools are well-equipped with the tools necessary to provide a safe and enriching environment.

The Epilepsy Foundation of Indiana is working towards the passing of the Seizure Safe School Act, which would make certain that school personnel, nurses, teachers and volunteers are able to recognize and respond appropriately to a student experiencing a seizure. There are four components to the legislation, and this week, we will be discussing these components in detail for a better understanding of the benefits of the Seizure Safe School Act.

If you would like to learn more, please stay tuned, or reach out to rkeys@efa.org for questions and possible advocacy volunteer opportunities.

Statement on Cathedral Basketball Player Being Taunted for Having Battled Seizures

Indianapolis, December 1, 2018 — Members of our community brought to our attention that James Franklin, who has battled seizures and had successful brain surgery according to news reports, was mocked during a basketball game Friday night between Cathedral and Center Grove in Greenwood, Indiana. The media has reported that a student pretended to have a seizure to taunt James while he was at the free-throw line and this resulted in laughs from the crowd. Like many of you, we are outraged and saddened that someone in our epilepsy community would be made fun of in this manner. Seizures are not a laughing matter. Epilepsy is a brain disorder, and people with epilepsy may experience hundreds of seizures a day. James is an epilepsy warrior who should be celebrated for how he has battled his disease and not mocked.

Making fun of someone having a seizure is bullying at its worst. When someone engages in this type of behavior it is demeaning and hurtful not only to our epilepsy community, but also everyone else. In fact, such treatment can put people who have seizures at increased risk of injury and death. If someone is ridiculed for a medical problem, such as seizures, they are more likely to hide their illness and less likely to seek medical care or the help of others.

It is unfortunate that the bad behavior of this student only adds to the ignorance, misunderstanding and fears that exist about seizures. We are contacting both schools to discuss the matter and offer our free epilepsy trainings for school personnel and students.

This incident attests to the need for more awareness about epilepsy and seizures and underscores the need for Seizure Safe School legislation. The Epilepsy Foundation of Indiana is working to introduce legislation in the state that would make certain that school personnel are not only prepared, but can recognize and respond appropriately and efficiently to students with epilepsy.

Upcoming Events / Programs

Kids Crew Movie Drive-In Event-To be Determined

We are postponing our event that was planned for December until next spring, in light of holiday season. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Please email aedwards@efa.org if you have any questions or concerns about this event.

Indianapolis Support Group Meeting - January 12, 2018

Next Meeting: Saturday, December 8th, 11:30-1pm @ Community North Hospital Medical Office Building, Room 370 (7250 Clearvista Dr., Indy)

Contact: Cameron, indyepilepsy@gmail.com or aedwards@efa.org.

Facebook Live Events - January 9, 2019

Make plans to join us for monthly Facebook live events on;

January 9 at 7:30PM

Topic: Spousal/Partner Relationships in Epilepsy

All events are at 7:30 PM ET. Dr. Wendy Miller will be discussing different topics that impact the epilepsy community. There is also time to ask other questions at the end of each event. If there is a topic you would like to hear about please send an email with your suggestion to rkeys@efa.org.