Epilepsy brought before public

Press, 23 June 1984, Page 9

Epilepsy brought before public

Epilepsy does not limit people, but your attitude to it can — this is the theme of the first Epilepsy Awareness Week which starts today. More than one in every 200 people suffer from epilepsy, but it is a condition that is kept hidden. Most people know little about it “Unless it affects their family people don’t take any interest in it,” said Mrs Doreen Collins, preisdent of the Christchurch branch of the Epilepsy Association. Epilepsy Awareness Week has two aims — to educate the public and to make it easier for epileptics to accept it. “If the public know about it they won’t be so frightened of it,” said Mrs Collins.

“Every day people are diagnosed as epileptics and it is very difficult to accept, but if they feel people understand they can cope better.” She also hopes Epilepsy Awareness Week will draw attention to the Epilepsy Association so that epileptics know they can turn to it for help. Displays and posters about epilepsy will be in many shops and on noticeboards during the week, and the association’s field officer will take a static display to Christchurch’s shopping malls and talk to people about epilepsy and how to deal with it. An envelope appeal will also be held in Canterbury, Otago, and Southland.