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Sara-Elizabeth

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Hi, I am Sara-Elizabeth and 15 years old and I was diagnosed with Idiopathic Benign Childhood Epilepsy at 16 months old. Nearly 3 million Americans live with epilepsy. It affects both genders, all ages and races without discrimination. Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. It is also called a seizure disorder. When a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, they are considered to have epilepsy. While I am currently seizure free, I do still have residual side effects from my seizure disorder. I experienced both Tonic-Clonic & Partial Complex Seizures.

I don't remember how others treated me because of my seizures when I was younger, but I have been told that some people looked at me with pity in their eyes, while others looked at me with disgust. I know that others with epilepsy have experienced their own stigmas when it comes to their own personal experiences with their own epilepsy. I am hoping that with my outreach to educate others about epilepsy, it will have an affect on how I and others are treated that have epilepsy. This is a journey I share with millions of other people with epilepsy.

At the age of 10, I started educating others. I told people that just because I have epilepsy I am no different then they are. I told everyone that I had epilepsy & if they had questions I would answer them. If they did not have questions I offered information. Around the same time I put together what has become "Sara's Annual Walk for Epilepsy" in my hometown of New Paltz, NY. I worked with local agencies that served individuals with epilepsy and the State University of New York at New Paltz to organize & promote my walks.

To date, I have held 4 walks & collectively they have raised over $50k. All monies raised went to support those with epilepsy in my home area.

Over the past few months, I’ve been talking with the national Epilepsy Foundation in Washington D.C. about my personal goal to take Sara’s Walk to the next level. We agreed that Sara’s Walk should not just benefit my community, but epilepsy communities across the country. I’m happy to say that, on June 6th, 2010 you will have the opportunity to support Sara’s Walk for Epilepsy in YOUR local hometown.

Here is your chance to do something in YOUR own community for a cause that is near and dear to so many of us! Donations raised on this site by YOU will be used to support YOUR local Epilepsy Foundation affiliate.

I just ask that on June 6th you, your family and friends go for a two mile walk in YOUR community to support epilepsy! Talk with people in your community ask them to sponsor you, get them to walk with you. Call your local media affiliates, elected officials, etc., tell them what you are doing and why. The bottom line is get out there and walk and talk about it! Together, we can help ourselves and other whose lives have been affected by epilepsy.
I’ll have more information posted on my Website (http://www.itsnotwhoiam.com) as well as my Heroes Among Us page on the national Epilepsy Foundation

It is my plan to continue my outreach with my walks and other community and national events. Being able to work with the National Epilepsy Foundation to do a program on the national level is very exciting! I hope this will inspire other children and adults to get involved and talk about epilepsy.