Your gift could change lives.

This year has brought untold challenges to the world, the Foundation, our families, and our communities. But the hope, perseverance, and strength you demonstrate every day reminds us why we do what we do. One story captured the spirit of our work and stood out to us this year. Please take a moment to read how a mother’s dedication— and help from an advocate— can change a little girl’s life:

My name is Katie Cruz and I am the mother of an Epilepsy Warrior. In October of 2017, my daughter, Amelia, tumbled eight feet off of a jungle gym. While she seemingly bounced right back— as kids are apt to do— I later discovered that fall would have devastating consequences.

Amelia began routinely waking up in the middle of the night feeling dizzy and nauseated. The spells continued and plagued her almost every night. I knew something was not right. After a hospital visit that revealed a lesion in her brain and a follow-up appointment with Amelia’s pediatrician at the time, we still did not know what was going on. But I never stopped searching for answers for my daughter.

Over a year after the accident, we began seeing a new pediatrician who scheduled an EEG. The results prompted us to seek a neurologist as soon as possible. In April of 2018, Amelia was diagnosed with epilepsy and, while we could close one chapter, a new journey was about to begin. As a single mom, navigating doctor’s appointments, insurance, new medications and side effects was overwhelming. We could not find the right path and felt like our voice was not being heard.

That is when I found the Epilepsy Foundation Eastern PA, and with their help, we found our voice.

The Foundation’s network of resources connected us with a neurologist who fit our family’s needs. Rena Loughlin, the EFEPA’s Program Director, drove us to appointments and EEG evaluations when I was unable to. She witnessed and recorded Amelia’s seizures, giving her care team invaluable information. When I expressed concerns about responding to Amelia’s seizures, Rena trained us in proper seizure first aid.

As many of us know all too well, epilepsy is more than a medical condition, and the Foundation’s work did not stop at the doors of the doctor’s office. They trained Amelia’s teachers and peers on seizure recognition and first aid and guided me through 504 accommodations meetings so Amelia could feel safe in her classroom.

The EFEPA has been more than an advocate and partner, they have become part of our family.

While Amelia’s seizures are still uncontrolled, the Foundation reminds us every day that she is not limited by her diagnosis. Together, Rena and Amelia created a book about her epilepsy, empowering her to be the author of her own story.

Amelia is in the second grade and a girl who has hair bows for every day and every occasion. She loves dressing up, the movie Frozen, and gymnastics. She has benefited so much from the Foundation and her friendship with Rena.

The Foundation is Amelia’s safe place.

Stories like Katie and Amelia’s inspire us to keep taking strides to end epilepsy and all of the challenges associated with the disorder. Katie would not stop fighting for her daughter and we, as a Foundation and team of advocates, will not stop fighting alongside you. Through the turmoil of the last couple of months, our dedication to our mission has not wavered but, instead, has strengthened the importance of our work and our community. The EFEPA is your trusted partner in the fight to end epilepsy as we have been for the past 48 years.

Now, we need you to be our partner.

Seizures have not stopped and neither have our efforts to serve and support our local epilepsy community. We transitioned our monthly support group meetings to be virtual, ensuring our community had a safe, inclusive space to stay connected. We reworked our four regional Epilepsy Education Exchanges as webinars because we know you still need access to the latest epilepsy updates, research, and treatments.

When we could not meet at Camp Green Lane for our beloved Camp Achieve, we launched Virtual Camp and reinvented the meaning of community. We hosted the first annual Adult Wellness Weekend as a virtual wellness day and are looking forward to welcoming young adults back for the Young Adult Retreat as an online retreat weekend. We trained over 3,700 school nurses, teachers, personnel and students in seizure recognition and first aid so when children, like Amelia, return to school, they are welcomed back to a safer, more supportive and accommodating classroom.

It is impossible to predict what the next year will bring, but we can promise one thing; the Foundation will continue to be here for you.

But now we need your help. Will you be here for us?

This December, Amelia is turning 8 years old. We hope this holiday season, in honor of Amelia and those facing the challenges of epilepsy, you will consider a gift to the EFEPA. Your donation not only shows your support of the Epilepsy Warrior in your life, it tells us you care about the future of the Foundation and the future of all of those affected by epilepsy. The EFEPA’s purpose is to end epilepsy, which means more than a cure; it means ending the challenges surrounding epilepsy – depression, discrimination, ignorance, isolation, stigma, silence, seizures, and so much more. Our work is not done until every parent like Katie, every child like Amelia, and every person impacted by epilepsy is educated, empowered, and supported. But we cannot do this work alone. We need your help, and we need your support.