More than 300 community members gather for Epilepsy Awareness Month

More than 300 community members gathered at the Great Lakes Aquarium on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 22, during National Epilepsy Awareness Month.

The event, hosted by the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota, featured a catered dinner, arts and crafts, and opportunities for people in the epilepsy community to connect. More than 55,000 Minnesotans live with epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes individuals to have recurring seizures. There is no cure, but it can be managed through several options.

“This is amazing because it’s really super fun, and we get to interact with lots of other people that have epilepsy in a really fun, social way, and it gets us out of the house,” said Desiree Gregorich, Regional Advisory Committee Member, EFMN. “Actually, one in 10 people will have a seizure in their lifetime, and one in 26 people will go on to develop epilepsy. So it’s a lot more common than I think most people think.”

The night wrapped up in the aquarium conference room, with a private birds-eye view of Bentleyville, where guests watched the festive lights come to life on opening night.
If you are interested in learning more about epilepsy, the EFMN website provides resources.