At our recent National Conference, we were delighted to name Melissa Ryan, Rebecca Reid and their families as our volunteers of the year for 2025!
The volunteer of the year award was introduced in 2016, as a small token of appreciation of the outstanding efforts an individual or a group of individuals have undertaken in support of Epilepsy Ireland.
The awards also highlight the importance of volunteering within our organisation. We are always spoiled for choice when it comes to our volunteer of the year’s awards – showing just how lucky we are to have such incredible volunteers across the country who are passionate about advancing our journey towards a society where no person’s life is limited by epilepsy.
This year’s recipients have been involved with Epilepsy Ireland through various fundraisers; raising awareness about the condition; and by sharing their own story to help educate others about the challenges of epilepsy.
21-year-old Tipperary woman Melissa Ryan lives with epilepsy and was first diagnosed with the condition at the age of 10. From the time of her diagnosis, Melissa and her family leaned on the support and information services offered by Epilepsy Ireland. As Melissa’s journey with the condition continued, they became increasingly involved in supporting the work of the organisation – taking part in local fundraisers and helping to educate the wider community about epilepsy by sharing their experiences of life with the condition. One example of Melissa’s contribution to the work of Epilepsy Ireland can be seen when she shared her story for International Epilepsy Day 2023. You can read this by visiting the ‘Irish Farmer’s Journal’ website.
14-year-old Longford teenager Rebecca was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 5 and lives with a severe form of epilepsy and experiences seizures on an almost daily basis. Despite the impact of the condition on her life, she has an incredible outlook and uses her experiences to educate others about epilepsy. Alongside her biggest supporter – her little sister Emma – Rebecca has recorded messages promoting the key words of TIME, SAFE, STAY and led on incredible fundraisers in support of Epilepsy Ireland, involving her entire local community. An example of Rebecca (and Emma’s) contributions to our work in support of International Epilepsy Day 2024 can be seen by visiting the ‘Irish Times’ website.
We would like to once again thank both Melissa, Rebecca and their families for their enormous contributions to the work of Epilepsy Ireland and congratulation them again on their awards.
As noted, we are truly spoiled at Epilepsy Ireland with the incredible volunteers we can call upon and we would like to take this opportunity to thank every one of you for your support – we cannot tell you enough how vital your support is and how much we appreciate it. It is only together that we can achieve a society where no person’s life is limited by epilepsy, and we are confident that with your continued support, our vision will become a reality in the years to come.
If you are interested in getting involved in the work of Epilepsy Ireland, we are currently seeking volunteers to help support our activities for International Epilepsy Day 2026 – you can find out more about this by visiting the ‘#EpilepsyDay 2026’ page on our website.
If you need any information or support around your or a loved one's epilepsy, please do not hesitate to get in touch with your local Community Resource Officer. You can find their details by visiting the 'Our Local Services' section of our website.