Every day is a day to raise awareness of epilepsy for Epilepsy Ireland! While epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions in the country – with over 45,000 people living with the condition – it still has myths and misconceptions attached to it.
These myths and misconceptions can range from misunderstandings about a person’s abilities or capabilities; misconceptions about how the condition impacts people living with the condition; and around how to help a person who may be experiencing a seizure.
Throughout each calendar year, we have a number of specific, targeted campaigns that aim to raise awareness of epilepsy and those living with it. We also have campaigns which raise awareness of specific aspects of the condition or types of the condition. There are also several other campaigns that we may take part in across the year but do not lead. The campaigns which we lead in Ireland each year are outlined below:
- International Epilepsy Day (second Monday in February every year)
- Purple Day ® (March 26th annually)
- National Epilepsy Week (circa end of May each year)
- SUDEP Action Day (circa mid-October every year)
- Infantile Spasms Awareness Week (1st – 7th December every year)
More on International Epilepsy Day and National Epilepsy Week can be found within this section of our website – while further information on Purple Day® can be found by visiting its dedicated page within the ‘Fundraising’ section of our website. More on SUDEP Action Day can be found by visiting its dedicated page within the ‘Epilepsy Information’ section of our website; while more on Infantile Spasms Awareness Week, can be found by visiting its dedicated page within the ‘Epilepsy Information’ section of our website.
Central to raising awareness of epilepsy it is having a bank of dedicated volunteers willing to share their experiences of life with the condition – this is why we have what we call media volunteers. As noted from the outset, every day is an epilepsy awareness day, so telling your story does not mean it has to be attached to a specific awareness-raising campaign or event. Visit the ‘Become a media volunteer’ page within this section of our website to learn more about media volunteering and sign up!
Together, we can achieve a society where no person's life is limited by epilepsy.