The Epilepsy Foundation of Southeast Tennessee has been providing necessary services for people impacted by epilepsy in the community since 1977.
They do this largely through their programs, which include: Prescription Assistance, Neurology Assistance (they can pay for someone's first visit to a neurologist and a follow-up visit), Transportation Assistance, Support Group, Studio E art therapy for kids, and free epilepsy and seizure first aid training.
Their goal is to provide a network of support for people with epilepsy and their families and to educate the public about epilepsy and equip the community to properly respond to seizures.
If you'd like to help, you can donate to their programs on their website at epilepsy-setn.org. If 10 people donate $40, they can cover the cost of a person’s epilepsy medications for a whole year, in some cases. A donation of just $125 allows up to 10 children with epilepsy to enjoy a free art therapy session with a certified art therapist.
Another great way to support the foundation is to attend their events. They do a walk in the fall and their 15th annual Chocolate Fling will be in February. They are also inviting everyone to come out to the Chattanooga Lookouts game on Tuesday, June 28 for their Strikeout Epilepsy event.
This will be a low-key event and it is not a fundraiser for the foundation. This is an evening to celebrate and recognize our friends here in our community who are living with epilepsy and to raise awareness about epilepsy and their programs. They hope this event starts conversations about epilepsy and helps position epilepsy in the public eye which will in turn reduce harmful stigmas and combat lack of understanding about epilepsy.
If you or someone close to you are living with epilepsy, please feel free to touch base with them. Everything they offer is totally free and they are a great starting place for someone with questions or looking for connections.
Follow them on Facebook and sign up to receive our newsletters/emails so you can stay up to date with our events and get plugged in with the Epilepsy Foundation community. You can also call them at (423) 380-8545 or email them at info@epilepsy-setn.org to get more information.