‘We are not our seizures’: People walk for epilepsy awareness in Marquette

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - A walk showed people who have seizures they don’t have to face it alone. Northern Michigan University Students for Epilepsy Advocacy and Mentorship held its 2nd annual Upper Peninsula Mini-Stroll for Epilepsy on Sunday.

NMU Student and Epilepsy Foundation Ambassador Alex Hopper says he has a sibling with epilepsy and has seen how it can affect people.

“There’s lots of stigma that surrounds epilepsy, and as much as there’s information, there’s misinformation, so making sure people have the correct information and access to resources is needed for everybody,” he said.

People could walk laps around the Superior Dome or visit information booths to learn about seizures and epilepsy.

Epilepsy Foundation Special Events Manager Emily Brower says 1 in 26 people have it. She hopes to connect people with information, like seizure first aid.

So, remember to stay with the person having a seizure, make sure they’re safe and turn them onto their side if they’re not awake and aware, but don’t restrain them.

“When they are having a seizure, they’re not really aware of their surroundings,” Brower said. “So, when they are convulsing, you need to make sure that they’re in a safe place, make sure that they’re not alone and sometimes it’s actually helpful to talk to those people when they are going through that just to make sure they aren’t feeling by themselves.”

Marquette resident Carole Touchinski says her daughter died of SUDEP or Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy at 21 years old. She wants other families to have a chance to know about it.

“Doctors tend not to talk about SUDEP,” she said. “One physician told me that they don’t want to scare people.”

Touchinski also encourages people to look beyond the diagnosis and look at the individual.

“Each and every person has their own hopes and dreams and adventures they want to participate in--that’s their life,” she said.

Touchinski says we are not our seizures.

Learn more about epilepsy and find resources at www.epilepsy.com/.

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