Summary: The Epilepsy Foundationrecently held the 9th annual Kids Speak Up! conference for youth with epilepsy on Capitol Hill. The 45 selected ambassadors from across the country petitionedcongressional leaders for aid in assuring better access to care, improved public education and more research toward a cure for epilepsy. Kids Speak Up! participants and other ambassadors were trained to become national and local advocates on behalf of the nearly 3 million people with epilepsy in the United States. Raise Your Voice, the theme of the event, underscores the importance of people with epilepsy sharing their personal stories with their lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Special Guests: Kimberli Meadows, Senior Director, Media & Public Relations, Epilepsy Foundation Kids Speak Up! Participants: Quinn Allen, 18, Beaverton, OR Ashley Irven, 12, Jacksonville, FL Malina Richardson, 15, Ashland, VA About Epilepsy Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures, which are brief disturbances in the electrical activity of the brain. When a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, they have epilepsy, which affects nearly 3 million people in the United States and 40 to 50 million people worldwide. About the Epilepsy Foundation The Epilepsy Foundation, a national nonprofit with affiliated organizations throughout the United States, has led the fight against epilepsy since 1968. The Foundation's mission is to stop seizures, find a cure and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy. www.epilepsyfoundation.org.
