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September 2025 Newsletter
5K South Coming Soon
Have you registered yet? Join the EFDE on Saturday, October 11 for our annual Freedom From Seizures 5K South. Meet at the Greene Turtle Bar & Grille in Dover for check-in, then come back for a post-race celebration and awards ceremony. Enjoy a cold beverage and delicious food, generously provided by the Greene Turtle. For details and to register, click here:
Join EFDE in the community as we participate in the New Castle Health Fair! EFDE will host an informational table, so drop by and say hi!
Date: September 13
Location: Good Will Fire Company 401 South St., New Castle, DE 19720
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mark Your Calendar
The Epilepsy Foundation of Delaware will host its 9th Annual Delaware Epilepsy Conference on Saturday, November 22. This year's theme is Epilepsy Treatments and Management. The event will take place at the John H. Ammon Medical Education Center at Christiana Care, Newark, Delaware. For more details and to register, click here:
EFDE's Event with Gals That Give is only one month away! Mark your calendar for Wednesday, October 22, bring a friend, and plan to join us for a fun evening. The event includes a delicious dinner, an amazing pick-a-prize auction, and a fantastic 50/50.
Gals That Give provides a platform for local non-profits to raise both funds and awareness through their monthly events. The evening is filled with hundreds of women (and some men) gathered for uplifting camaraderie and a meaningful purpose, highlighting and focusing on a local non-profit whose mission positively impacts the community. A robust auction completes the evening where 100% of funds go to the monthly non-profit.
We are so grateful to Gals That Give for this opportunity and look forward to seeing our community there! Purchase tickets here:
Do you own a restaurant? Cleaning service? Landscaping business? Hair salon? Photography business? EFDE is actively in search of donations for auction baskets for our Gals That Give event. Types of items needed are, but not limited to: gift cards, movie or theater tickets, sports related items or tickets to a sporting event, fine jewelry, family or children's games, a round of golf, bottles of wine, beer or other adult beverages, designer bags, concert or show tickets, pet related items, electronics, or tickets to museums or gardens.
If you have any type of item/gift card to donate, please contact Joan at jfassano@efde.org.
We are grateful for any donations and thank you in advance!
Need a Ride?
Just a reminder that EFDE offers a FREE Transportation Program!
If you are a Delaware resident, have been diagnosed with epilepsy/seizure disorder and under the care of a neurologist, then may qualify for this FREE program.
Rides are provided by Uber Health and must be scheduled through EFDE.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Delaware is pleased to again be partnering with Boscov's for the "Friends Helping Friends" event. Donate $5 to the EFDE and receive a 25% off shopping pass to be used on Wednesday, October 22 at any Boscov's (in store and online). You can also register to win a $100 Boscov's gift card (one winner at every store). The best part...100% of your donation goes to the EFDE! Please share this with your family and friends, then contact our office (302-999-9313) or email (efd@efde.org) to let us know how many passes you would like. Better yet, come see us at the Christiana Boscov's on Thursday, September 11 where we will be selling passes and sharing information about epilepsy and EFDE. Thank you and happy shopping!
In Appreciation
Thank you to everyone who has made a gift to the 2025-2026 EFDE Annual Fund. For those unfamiliar with our annual fund, it is a critical source of revenue and provides funding for all of EFDE's educational events, support programs, seizure first aid trainings, our community outreach, and our advocacy efforts throughout the state. Thanks to your kindness, we are able to provide all of our services and resources at no charge to our community.
A big thank you to all who donated in August:
Brian Bartley - Ellsworth Brown - Joseph Cunningham - United Health Group - Brian Miller - JP Morgan Chase Foundation - Karen Mitchell - The Rebecca James Giving Account
Don’t see your name? Make your gift today and join this dedicated group of supporters.
Five days after my sister was born in 2013, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. It started with a single focal-aware seizure when my right arm lifted above my head and froze for about 30 seconds. The seizures increased to 5–10 a day, plus more than 10 nocturnal seizures, often in clusters, over the course of a few weeks. It got to the point where I hallucinated, my right arm was paralyzed, and I started doing everything with my left hand. For months, my dad stayed up all night monitoring me while my mom barely slept, taking care of my newborn sister and us.
Most of my memories from when my epilepsy was at its worst involve the countless EEGs and MRIs I had to go through. I’ll never forget the weird, cold gel they used to stick electrodes to my head, as well as being stuck in a tube for hours. Since then, I’ve been through several neurologists in different states and tried multiple medications. From time to time I feel that my hand locks up or shakes for a few seconds. I’m lucky that, miraculously, the severity of my condition has been controlled, and I’m now able to live my life normally in a way that once seemed unlikely, playing competitive sports and starting to drive despite once thinking my arm would be paralyzed forever. I’m extremely grateful, and I hope to contribute to allowing others to head in the same direction.
As the Teens Speak Up! Advocate for Delaware, meeting other young people across the country and learning about advocacy has helped me realize why it is so important; it brings attention to a condition that affects millions, but is still widely misunderstood. We often face hidden challenges that others don’t understand. Seizures can affect all parts of patients’ lives - interactions, activities, feelings, and emotions. By speaking up, we can educate others about the realities of epilepsy and encourage greater acceptance and support. Raising awareness also means pushing for more research, better treatments, and policies. Advocacy is the first step to empowering individuals with epilepsy to live independently and openly in a more inclusive society.
Join EFDE in wishing a veryHappy Birthdayto all celebrating a September Birthday!
Elizabeth M. - Christy P.
Have an upcoming birthday? Click here to let us know so we can give you a shout out and celebrate you!
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