Ride for Epilepsy

Hi all! My name is Kelly. Last year I started working on a project I titled "Storytelling Seizures" (check out the website and the YouTube Channel)! Starting January 1, 2023, I will be biking across the southern tier of the United States, documenting the experiences of people affected by epilepsy and other seizure disorders. Part of this journey includes raising funds for two organisations that have had long-lasting, positive impacts on the lives of people with epilepy: The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation and the Center for Epilepsy and Seizure Education BC. One serves my host, the United States, while the other serves my home, British Columbia. All donations will be split 50/50 between these two organisations. Please read about them below:

The Center for Epilepsy & Seizure Education in British Columbia (ESEBC):

The Center for Epilepsy and Seizure Education in British Columbia is dedicated to creating and providing support, information, and education to families and individuals who live with epilepsy their support staff, educational personnel, friends, co-workers, health care providers and anyone else affected by epilepsy. Specifically, we provide psycho-social support, advocacy, and resources. We have a monthly mandala art expression session, we provide educational workshops facilitated by professionals on the ketogenic diet, mental health, safety and complementary therapies, to name a few. We also provide educational presentations on epilepsy to teachers, education assistants, service clubs, first responders, home support workers, students of all ages, and any other group interested in learning about epilepsy.

Please check out our ESEBC website, YouTube channel, and Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation:

The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation is a 501c3 not for profit in Southern California. Our mission is to provide the advocacy and educational resources needed to the epilepsy community and our society. We are an all-volunteer organization, and our services include scholarships for higher education, workforce development training, and fundraising for medical alert dogs. In the two years we have been operational, we have awarded four scholarships, assisted a family with travel for medical care, and mentored many interns interested in learning about epilepsy.

Your contribution will go one hundred percent towards our programs in which you can help to make a difference for someone battling epilepsy. We invite you to check out our Defeating Epilepsy website and send an email if you have any questions. Please follow us on Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Thank you for your support and together we will defeat epilepsy!

Epilepsy affects approximately 1.2% of the US population (3 million adults and 470,000 children) yet is rarely discussed. The stigma surrounding this disorder remains today, and it is about time it vanishes from society. To address this issue, I will regularly release video compilations with footage of my journey and discussions with individuals about the subject. The grand purpose of this trip is to develop a documentary that effectively communicates the many perspectives and experiences associated with epilepsy. I will be asking about the quality of medical care, workplace obstacles, and the impact of social stigmas. It's not all doom and gloom, though: I will also be building a repository of successes great and small!

I hope to bring to light the many obstacles faced by those affected by seizure disorders so as to create a better understanding of what epilepsy is and what it means to all of us.

Thank you deeply for any donation you are able to give, no matter how big or how small. If you are unable to donate, please follow the journey!

I hope to see you on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube where I will be releasing content along the way.

And please visit the Storytelling Seizures website to check out some of my plans, get some more information on epilepsy, and read about the experiences of others!

To donate to the trip itself, visit GoFundMe - Storytelling Seizures.

Thank you all for helping me with this project!