2.5 MILLION AMERICANS WITH EPILEPSY ARE ABOUT TO BE HEARD

GET THE WORD OUT! campaign aims to empower, educate
and encourage understanding to eliminate stigmas

Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon signs on as spokesperson

(AANewswire)LANDOVER, Md. October 29, 2004 - November 1st is more than just the day before the 2004 elections it also marks the beginning of National Epilepsy Awareness Month. This year, the National Epilepsy Foundation is on a charge to help Get the Word Out!

With a mission to empower people with the condition, to educate those without the disorder and to encourage understanding for all, this year's campaign is about awareness. "We can overcome negative attitudes about epilepsy and wipe them out completely over the next five to ten years by simply giving our younger generations a little basic knowledge about the disorder," said Eric Hargis, president and CEO of the National Epilepsy Foundation. "Education is a powerful tool in ending unjust discrimination against people living with epilepsy in our society."

To help generate awareness, the Epilepsy Foundation has coordinated a series of events in salons and churches around the country. "From Seattle to New York, we are on an awareness crusade," said Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, this year's campaign spokesperson. Radio public service announcements featuring Beauvais-Nilon will start airing to counter the stigma associated with epilepsy, also called "seizure disorders," and to encourage respect and understanding for people with the disorder. The Haitian-born beauty, who parlayed a modeling career into starring roles on The Jamie Foxx Show and NYPD Blue, is currently in production on Eyes, a new ABC television one-hour drama series.

An estimated 350,000 African-Americans have epilepsy and about 24,000 new cases among African-Americans are diagnosed every year. Limited access to health care, misinformation and stigma within the community further compound the effects of epilepsy.

A grass-roots campaign
To get the word out at the community level, the campaign will feature educational events in partnership with African-American churches and lifestyle outlets, including beauty salons. These faith- and salon-based partners will also distribute educational materials and serve as local points of contact for the campaign.

A Get the WORD Out! Contest that runs from Oct. 18 to Nov. 30 will invite youth to express what they think acceptance, tolerance and respect are all about through songwriting, rap, essay, poetry, spoken word, photography or drawing. Winners of the local contests will receive digital cameras. Those entries will go on to the Epilepsy Foundation national office where four grand-prize winners will receive a digital camera, printer and other digital-imaging kit components. Entry forms will be available from community partners or the contest's web site at: www.entitledtorespect.org

Epilepsy myths & facts
Myth: Epilepsy has a spiritual - not a physical - cause.
Fact: Epilepsy is a medical condition and seizures are the outward sign. Seizures are caused by brief disturbances in the brain's electrical activity. Epilepsy is not a curse.

Myth: You should put a spoon, pencil, wallet or other object in the mouth during a seizure.
Fact: You should never put anything in the mouth of someone having a seizure. Doing so can cause injury to the teeth or gums. It is not true that you can swallow your tongue during a seizure.

Myth: Epilepsy is contagious.
Fact: You cannot catch epilepsy from, or give it to, someone else.

The consequences of such misinformation can severely affect the quality of life of those with epilepsy, according to Hargis.

"When people lack a basic understanding of seizures and how to respond to them, they tend to avoid and discriminate against those with the disorder. They may also misinterpret certain seizures as anti-social or drug-induced behavior," Hargis said.

Through surgery, medication, diet or a combination of these, people with epilepsy can achieve full or partial control of seizures in most cases. "People should not feel ashamed about having seizures or give up hope of one day being seizure free," Hargis said.

For information about seizure disorders, visit www.efa.org to find an Epilepsy Foundation office near you or contact the National Epilepsy Foundation office at 800-332-1000.

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