March 19, 2008
Drew Woods of Fox Chapel and Hunter Fritschie of Verona will travel to Washington, D.C., March 30 ?April 1, 2008 to tell lawmakers about their experiences with epilepsy. ?I want my representatives to know how important it is to continue funding the programs that the Epilepsy Foundation implement,? says Drew ?I?m excited to share my story and experiences, to educate more people on epilepsy and explain how I have not allowed it to define who I am.? Hunter expresses many of the same sentiments as Drew, and adds ?I want everyone to know that epilepsy does not control my life, I want to be thought of as a normal 7 year old kid who can do everything that everyone else can do.?
Drew and Hunter will travel to D.C. with their mothers, Ellen Woods and Marcy Surra, neither of whom have epilepsy. Ellen and Marcy are excited to support their son?s efforts to raise awareness of the condition and share their stories with their representatives on Capitol Hill. ?When Drew began having seizures a year and a half ago, the Epilepsy Foundation Western/Central PA was a great help with support and education, and while Drew has had some obstacles to overcome, he has proven that epilepsy does not control his life and he has been able to excel in both school and sports despite his seizures, we are excited to share that message,? Ellen said, Marcy echoed Ellen?s statements adding that she is hopeful her son?s story can help in the continued funding of these important programs throughout the country.
Drew, 12, and Hunter, 7, are two of 51 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.
?Drew and Hunter were 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 both ideal candidates because of their efforts to increase epilepsy awareness and educate people within their communities about the condition,? said Judy Painter, executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation Western/Central Pennsylvania (EFWCP).
Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition in children and the third most common in adults after Alzheimer?s disease and stroke. Despite modern therapy, about 1 million people continue to experience seizures or significant side effects from treatment.
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