Solon High School Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) hosted a fundraiser during the week of March 13 for Epilepsy Awareness Week.  Across the nation, various charities will collect donations and raise awareness for the neurological disorder of epilepsy, which entails abnormal electrical impulses in the brain that cause the body to have seizures.

Informing people on the disorder through fundraisers like CEC’s a great way to raise awareness. But there are others in the greater Solon community outside who have also made steps toward epilepsy awareness. Solon resident Leigh Goldie, who was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was eight after being struck by a car, created her own foundation that collects donations for epilepsy. Empowering Epilepsy was started in 2014 by Goldie and her friends to  spread awareness for epilepsy and what it’s like living with it using her own unique story.

“Epilepsy is like a thunderstorm taking place in your brain,” Goldie said. “The lightning strikes, which is when the seizure starts. Then, the thunder is the actual seizure that you feel. I would get a weird feeling in my chest, and then I would stare straight ahead, swallow hard, smack my lips and clench my right fist. This would last from 30 seconds up to two minutes. I lived with a lot of anxiety because seizures can happen at any time and any place, and are very unpredictable.”

CEC wanted to inform others of just how serious epilepsy is, so from Wednesday March 15 through Thursday March 16, CEC collected donations in the cafeteria throughout lunch periods. Colleen Hartnett, who has been the advisor of CEC for 10 years, described the amazing feeling to hold this fundraiser.

“We feel that it’s a privilege to be able to take part in making young adults aware of this chronic neurological condition, which is characterized by recurrent seizures,” Hartnett said. “Many young adults, their siblings, relatives and friends have this condition and don’t always know why the seizures occur or what they can do to help.”

CEC wants to educate students on the neurological disorder and what they can do to help, which includes things like donating money and sharing with people what epilepsy is, and how serious the disorder can be. CEC member and junior Hannah Hirko, who has been living with epilepsy since she was nine, feels a personal connection to the fund raiser, and was ecstatic the school held a fundraiser to bring awareness to the disorder.

“I think it’s great we’re [having a fundraiser] because many people don’t know what epilepsy is,” Hirko said. “So I think it’s great that there’s a club here that’s informing people and bringing attention to this disorder.”

The fact that epilepsy is still so unknown is what motivated Goldie to make the change herself, and Empowering Epilepsy was born. All the money from “Empowering Epilepsy,” and similar charities, and the money CEC collects this week go straight to organizations like the Epilepsy Foundation. CEC had a successful week, raising a total of $307.91 dollars through their fundraiser. Although making a large amount of money is fulfilling, Hartnett shares it’s the pride she has in her CEC members that matter most.
“The primary objective of CEC   is to promote acceptance and inclusion of all individuals with disabilities in our school and community, and volunteering to help others,” Hartnett said. “In both past years and the present, we have amazing students in our club that have changed lives forever by unconditionally sharing their friendship, sensitivity, caring ways, compassion and leadership abilities.  We feel very proud to have our students involved in and representing such a worthwhile cause.”