It has been more than a year since they invested their time and effort in attempts to reach more people and create more awareness about epilepsy. With their help, the EFVA reached 3.3 million Virginians in the past year.
Tadesse and Lee helped answer questions from clients. They researched addresses for help with epilepsy medications and looked for coupons to get them at discounts. They also found delivery options for people that are not able to go purchase their medications. They wrote up tips on epilepsy in the workplace. They did in-depth research on PNES (psychogenic non-epileptic seizures) for patients with this condition.
They even suggested a great idea: to have personalized cards, that patients would carry around. It would include the type of epilepsy they have, how long their episodes last, what to do during an attack and emergency contact information
They applied for grants and created posters to advertise events on social media.
Tadesse and Lee also liked researching dogs. Some dog breeds can be trained to sense when people are about to have seizures. They can detect it hours before and that can give the patient time to prepare for it.
This year, the students came up with the idea of doing a bake sale to raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia. The students will host the bake sale on Nov. 2 to raise awareness for Epilepsy Awareness Month. The sale will be held on The Corner in Charlottesville, in front of 1515.
For more information on the EPVA, visit epilepsyva.com