Congress is Talking About It!

Watch Rep. Jo Ann Emerson talk about epilepsy awareness!

November 18, 2009, Washington D.C.--In a bipartisan show of support for people with epilepsy, Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) are delivering remarks on the House floor in honor of National Epilepsy Awareness Month(NEAM) in November. They want to raise awareness about epilepsy and this year’s NEAM theme, which is Talk About It! Rep. Emerson delivered her remarks this afternoon.

The legislators were moved to action by a young congressional staffer who works for Rep. Skelton named Ryan Dillon. Ryan is from Missouri and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson represents his district. Ryan was diagnosed with epilepsy as a teenager and kept his epilepsy a secret from his peers. Now he is a tireless advocate for epilepsy awareness.

To celebrate NEAM, the Epilepsy Foundation is encouraging people to talk about epilepsy and what it means to them through Twitter, Facebook and the Foundation’s own social networking site, eCommunities. The focus is on the resonance of personal stories and putting a face on a disorder that is often shunned and misunderstood.

Congress has been committed to issues surrounding epilepsy, passing vital legislation in 2008 to establish Epilepsy Centers of Excellence within the Veterans Administration.These Centers of Excellence will ensure the best care possible for returning veterans with traumatic brain injuries, which can result in epilepsy.Fortunately, research into epilepsy has resulted in the development of medications and other treatments that have proven successful in controlling epileptic seizures, however these treatments are not effective for everyone with epilepsy. That’s why it’s important to raise awareness, so we can one day find a cure.

Congress’s participation in NEAM—getting the word out in the power corridors of Washington D.C.—shows a significant effort to foster an understanding of what epilepsy is—and isn’t—and what remains to be accomplished.