March 26th - Purple Day

Ashley has Epilepsy. She has 2-3 seizures on a good day and 4-6 on a bad day. Currently, her seizures are not horrible, but they still are a major disruption to her life. People who don't know her well, and that includes a majority of the people in her school, are frightened or dismayed by her seizures. The same was true for Cassidy Megan, a young girl from Canada. But on March 26th of last year, Cassidy began to change the world and educate people about Epilepsy.

Motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy, Cassidy Megan founded Purple Day in 2008 to increase awareness about her disorder. Cassidy’s goal is to get people talking about epilepsy in an effort to dispel myths and inform those with seizures that they are not alone.

Cassidy’s efforts began in her hometown in Nova Scotia, where she taught classmates and peers not to fear seizures, and explained to them that for the most part, people with epilepsy lead normal, healthy lives.

With the help of her mom, Cassidy began contacting politicians, celebrities, non-profits and corporations, asking them to spread the word about Purple Day and epilepsy. The response was outstanding. People from around the world joined the campaign, helping make Purple Day 2008 a great success.

But Purple Day didn't stop in 2008. The cause if growing with the help of politicians, David Letterman, and Epilepsy organizations around the world.

So find something purple to wear today, visit the Purple Day website for more information, and help spread the word - people with Epilepsy are people first.