March 26, 2019 is Purple Day across the globe, as Epilepsy Awareness Month draws to a close.
Here in Sudbury, the Big Nickel will be purple in recognition of the day and to help spread awareness of the brain disorder. In addition, a special proclamation in recognition of Purple Day will be read in at the mayor's office on March 26 at 10 a.m. and a purple flag to commemorate Purple Day will be raised at Tom Davies Square.
This will be the first time that Purple Day has been observed in Sudbury, thanks in large part to a group of Sudburians who have been advocating for epilepsy awareness over the past 12 months.
At the forefront of SEIZE (Sudbury Epilepsy Information Zone) a chapter of Epilepsy Ontario here in Greater Sudbury, is Leslie Moutsatsos, whose youngest son was diagnosed with the rare brain disorder, Schizencephaly, when he was 13.
"Sudbury had a chapter of Epilepsy Ontario a long time ago, but for whatever reason it just kind of stopped," said Moutsatsos. "I was scrolling through Facebook one day and came across a person from Sudbury who had a successful brain surgery for controlling his seizures."
Moutsatsos reached out to this person, as her son was treated at the same hospital in Toronto.
"He mentioned that Sudbury doesn't really have a support system in place for people with epilepsy and that we do nothing for Purple Day," said Moutsatsos.
Shortly after that, Leslie met a family through her business (she and her husband Junior own P&M's Kouzzina) and discovered that their sons not only went to the same school, but shared the same paediatrician and were both learning the ropes about living with epilepsy.
"We came to find that we needed to know each other, there needed to be a support system for families like ours," said Moutsatsos.
"We've been growing in numbers and have about 70 members right now. We are small, we don’t always know what we’re doing, but we are connecting with so many people that suffer this chronic neurological disorder. We have plans and hopes and dreams for a future that has a better understanding of epilepsy and helps erase the stigma associated with it."
You can learn more about epilepsy supports in Sudbury at seizesudbury.ca, or by visiting Seize Sudbury on Facebook.
