The Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities and the Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas join Governor Greg Abbott in recognizing Epilepsy Awareness Month. The mission of the Epilepsy Foundation is to lead the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and to accelerate therapies to stop seizures, find cures, and save lives.

Governor Abbott proclaims the month of November as Epilepsy Awareness Month in Texas and encourages all Texans to learn more about epilepsy and the individuals and families affected by epilepsy and to support further research toward a cure. November is dedicated to promoting public awareness of epilepsy, highlighting the need for further research, and removing the stigma around those who experience seizures. In his 2017 proclamation, Governor Abbott says “It is vital that we recognize the seriousness of this disorder, promote education on how to assist individuals experiencing seizures, and ensure individuals with epilepsy are treated with respect. Through empathy, education and action, we can work toward a better future for our fellow Texans who experience seizures.”

Epilepsy is a neurological condition in which an individual experiences seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. These seizures are mostly unpredictable with over 40 different types and can range in severity from a momentary loss of awareness, to violent, unconscious, uncontrolled jerking movements. Though many remain unaware of this condition, it is not all that rare as it affects 400,000 Texans of all ages.

There are many possible contributing causes to epilepsy including illness, brain injury, and abnormal brain development, however, in the majority of cases, the cause is unknown. While epilepsy cannot currently be cured, individuals with a diagnosis of epilepsy can control seizures with modern medicine and surgical techniques. Nevertheless, people who experience seizures continue to encounter difficulty in the workplace, deal with social stigmatization, and, in some cases, discrimination. Additionally, individuals who experience seizures may not receive appropriate first aid during a seizure as the public is often unable to recognize common seizure types.

Read Governor Greg Abbott’s 2017 Epilepsy Awareness Month in Texas proclamation: https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/organization/disabilities/EpilepsyAwarenessMonth2017.pdf