Your Gift Will Change Lives.
Have you ever felt isolated, alone, or not included? For many living with epilepsy, this is the daily reality.
Meet Nicole Spross, a Face of Epilepsy.
I am an adult living with epilepsy and cerebral palsy. Epilepsy is isolating. At times, it can feel like you are the only person experiencing the daily challenges of the disorder, the fear and anxiety of when that next seizure might happen, the trials and side effects of medications, the apprehension of disclosure, the judgment and misconception from others...
In case you need to hear it, I am here to tell you that you are not alone.
I was diagnosed with epilepsy at two years old, but experienced complications from birth that would impact my whole life. My twin, Michael, and I were born 12 weeks early. At three days old, I stopped breathing. When I was resuscitated, my care team discovered a massive brain bleed that later led to my epilepsy. I spent 108 days in the NICU, and throughout my childhood, I was in and out of the emergency room.
When I was in ninth grade, my family moved, and that is when I learned about the Epilepsy Foundation Eastern PA. My new care team recommended Camp Achieve. That August, I quickly became part of the Camp family. It was my first time meeting others living with epilepsy who truly understood the anxieties, challenges, and intricacies of the disorder. With a little help from Camp, I dismantled all of the perceived limitations I had put on myself.
I did something I could have never imagined. I rock climbed. Camp Achieve taught me I can do anything that anyone else can. Epilepsy cannot stop me. I have attempted that rock wall every year since! When I turned 18, I transitioned into being a counselor at Camp Achieve. Nothing brings me more joy than cheering on young Campers as they took on that rock wall, along with swimming, canoeing, archery, and anything else they set their minds to!
The Foundation is a wonderful community where everyone can participate and everyone belongs.
Camp Achieve not only built my confidence, but I also gained a best friend. I met Allison DeLizzio, a girl my age, who just got me. Our friendship profoundly changed my life. The EFEPA is where I found my tribe; I developed so many meaningful, understanding, and mutually supportive friendships.
I attended the Young Adult Retreat when it was launched in 2016 and continued growing and strengthening my social circle. Five years later, I still attend the Retreat every May, now as a volunteer mentor. This past September I attended the first Adult Wellness Weekend and had the most rewarding experience. I also participate in monthly support groups, where I can connect and give and receive support from people who understand what it means to battle epilepsy.
The EFEPA is the place we can turn to for information and support, but it is so much more than a resource; it is a safe space. You can lower the shield so many Epilepsy Warriors yield day-to-day. When I am with my EFEPA family, I am not self-conscious. I do not doubt myself.
Epilepsy is the common thread that connects us, but the Foundation is what binds us together.
When you are an adult, it can be uncomfortable and difficult to express the vulnerability of living with epilepsy. But if we do not talk about it, we cannot create change. Adult resources are vitally important but often overlooked.
In the past year, the EFEPA hosted the Adult Wellness Weekend, welcoming 21 adults to relax, recharge, reflect and connect with each other. We grew our support groups and created the Couple’s Support Group, as well as a Parent’s Support Group. We expanded our memory and cognition coaching and introduced new mental and behavioral health programming to combat barriers adults with epilepsy often face in their social and professional lives.
Epilepsy can be a lifelong disorder, and the EFEPA recognizes the importance of providing services for all ages and stages of life and diagnosis. Just like Nicole found her place to belong at the Foundation, we promise to be here for you and your family from childhood to adulthood.
Now, we are asking YOU to be the common thread.
We ask that you share the Foundation’s work with your family and friends, talk about epilepsy, and advocate for the critical need for support services. We are looking to you to lead by example by supporting our invaluable work with a gift. Can we count on your support?
Give $30: Provide coaching materials and planners for adults with epilepsy facing memory and cognition challenges
Give $50: Fill one first aid kit for our medical team at the Young Adult Retreat
Give $100: Cover costs for one monthly support group
Give $250: Cover the cost for one person to attend the Adult Wellness Weekend
Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, the Foundation is able to continue empowering and improving the lives of those facing epilepsy. As we look towards the New Year, 2022 kicks off our 50th year serving and supporting our local epilepsy community. It is our sincere honor to have been welcomed into so many of your lives and journeys with epilepsy.
To celebrate this milestone, we are asking you to help us raise $50,000. Together, we can and will make the difference.
For more information on large gifts or gift of stocks, please contact our Director of Development, Darleen Blesi, at 215-629-5003 ext 102 or [email protected]