Texas Youths Share Epilepsy Message on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 30, 2006) — Joaquin Amos of San Antonio, Meredith Ehrhardt of Kingwood, and Matthew Villarreal of Sugarland traveled to Washington, D.C., to tell lawmakers about their experiences with epilepsy.

The families met with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, District 20, and legislative aides from congressional districts all over Texas, to ask for their help in restoring critical Centers for Disease Control & Prevention funding. As currently written, the bill lacks the funding needed to restore the cuts made to important health, disability and education programs, including programs like the CDC Epilepsy Program, in the President's Budget.  Funding from the CDC Epilepsy Program has helped to train over 400 school nurses in the Central and South Texas area; as well as trained over 200 eighth and ninth grade students.  A first responders training program is scheduled to pilot in the fall.

These trainings focus on appropriate measures to take when someone is having a seizure to prevent harm from improper care, as well as treatments, and psychosocial issues. The CDC funding has helped to teach teens in high schools and middle schools across the nation focuses on teen awareness, epilepsy first aid, and reducing stigma for teens living with epilepsy. In Texas approximately 1.8% of the population is affected by epilepsy.

"If doctors can find a cure for cancer and other diseases, why haven't they found anything for epilepsy?" said Ehrhardt. "I want to start a group for kids my age raise money for a cure."

Amos, 9, Ehrhardt, 10, and Villarreal, 7, are three of 44 youths from across the country participating in Kids Speak Up!, a national program coordinated by the Epilepsy Foundation and funded by Abbott Laboratories. The program rallies young ambassadors with epilepsy between the ages of 7 and 16 to personally petition congressional leaders for aid in assuring better access to care, improved public education and research towards a cure for epilepsy.

"They were each selected to participate in Kids Speak Up! to represent the approximately 326,000 children under the age of 15 who are affected by the condition. They are ideal candidates because of their efforts to spread epilepsy awareness in their communities," said Eric Hargis, president and chief executive officer of the Epilepsy Foundation.