Purple Day is my favorite time of year. Aside from wearing purple, the color of epilepsy awareness, I love the sense of community given by fellow epilepsy warriors. Doing advocacy for so long, I have been isolated by certain individuals and organizations who promised to assist, but failed to invite me. I recall one incident where I hoped to bring the day onto a local program. The producer loved the idea; however there was one teensy problem. I could appear on the show but the doctors and the organization had to take up most of the screen time. Members and folks like me had no say on the show. No room to share our stories. The organization missed the point. If the disabled community must be quiet when in public, then all the progress made is no better than garbage. As a result, the show was nixed. I never saw any further opportunities that year. Plodding along, I had to go it alone. Thankfully, being online has brought me many supportive community members and friends to be there for me.
As I am in my eleventh year of doing Purple Day, I am thankful I can reach to many who have been in my shoes. No one has to be alone on their journey. Community is the heart of Purple Day.
Epilepsy affects one in twenty-six people in the United States. It can happen to anyone at any stage at any time. Every four minutes, someone is diagnosed with epilepsy. It is neurological disorder that causes the brain to misfire, setting off a series of seizures. Purple Day was founded by Cassidy Megan in 2008 in Nova Scoria, Canada. She wanted to create a holiday where individuals with epilepsy and their families felt less alone. Educating yourself and others about epilepsy is a great way to help. So are reading books and watching films by people affected by epilepsy. Oh, and did I mention befriending someone with epilepsy? That is wonderful, too when you listen to us.
To learn more about this wonderful holiday, please visit www.purpleday.org
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