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May
31
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5/31/2009 1:32 PM
Stroll for Epilepsy raises $7,000
By Abby McGuire
for the Daily News
Published: Saturday, May 16, 2009 11:13 PM EDT
AMANDA LARAE LARKIN | photo@mdn.net Dana Hahn, of Midland, laughs as she tapes a Newsweek cover featuring a story on Epilepsy to her sweater before the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan's Summer Stroll Epilepsy walk. About 100 people were expected to participate in the event, which featured food, clowns, music and a 2.5 mile walk.
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Saginaw resident Sara Gravelyn, a friend and member of Team Generose, walked in the Summer Stroll for Epilepsy Saturday not only for her friend who died from the disorder, but for herself and others who have epilepsy.
The event at Dow Diamond raised almost $7,000 for epilepsy research, education and awareness through the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan.
Team Generose raised more than $2,300. Thirty-six friends and family members made up the team in memory of Generose Wilson, 19, of Saginaw, who passed away nearly two years ago when she suffered a seizure and drowned while taking a bath.
Gravelyn, a Michigan State University student who was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was in high school, said Generose’s death made her more diligent about taking care of herself.
“She was my first big loss,” Gravelyn said. “I try to take my epilepsy seriously, and I’m careful about it. I’m also more willing to talk about it and help spread the word.”
Jeffrey Wilson, Generose’s father, said despite his family’s loss, he feels blessed to have a cause to fight for and a chance to help improve the lives of others.
“It’s an emotionally tough day for my wife and I,” Wilson, who counts the days since his daughter’s death, said. “I still get a pain in my stomach when I think about day 1, or when I hear about another family losing a child.”
He believes that through Generose’s death, the friends and family she left behind have taken the opportunity to get involved in educating others about epilepsy.
“A lot of people go through life without anything to fight for, and this is very near and dear to my heart,” Wilson said. “Things that used to be important aren’t important anymore. The only things that matter are family and health.”
Team Sammie Grammie brought together family members from across the state and across the nation to walk for Elizabeth Hunter, of Seattle, and her granddaughter, Samantha Weintraub, 7, of Ann Arbor, who both have epilepsy.
Hunter, who was diagnosed in 1972, said she appreciates seeing the stigma attached to epilepsy disappearing.
“When I was diagnosed, it was just called a seizure disorder,” Hunter said. “There was a stigma that you walked around with a limp, with a hump on your back. It’s wonderful that we can live normal lives.”
Laura Weintraub, Samantha’s mother, said her daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy just before her fourth birthday when Laura noticed her “blanking out” for five to ten seconds at a time up to 30 times a day. A neurologist diagnosed the episodes as seizures.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, there are more than 20 different seizure types beyond the convulsive seizure most people might recognize. Seizures can also present themselves as episodes of staring, wandering, repetitive movements, vocalizations, sudden falls or hallucinations.
Brianna Romines, development director for the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, said education and awareness are one of the foundation’s top priorities. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes unpredictable seizures and affects 100,000 people in Michigan.
If people see someone having a seizure, avoid grabbing hold of the person or placing anything in their mouth, Romines said.
Also make sure the person is in a safe place, and if the seizure lasts more than five minutes, call for emergency medical assistance. She also suggests protecting the person’s privacy and providing them with a friendly environment to wake up to when the seizure ends.
For more information about epilepsy, visit www.epilepsymichigan.org or call 1-800-377-6226, option 1, ext. 236.
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