What is Purple Day? It’s a day devoted to epilepsy awareness!

Cassidy Megan, a child from Nova Scotia, created the idea of Purple Day in 2008. She was motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy. Her goal was to get people talking about epilepsy in an effort to dispel myths and inform those with seizures that they are not alone.

Since then Purple Day has grown into an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. On March 26th people in countries around the world are invited to wear purple and host events in support of epilepsy awareness. In 2012, people in dozens of countries on all continents including Antarctica participated in Purple Day.

In Canada, the federal Parliament has passed the Purple Day Act and it has received Royal Assent. This means that March 26th is now officially recognized by law as Purple Day for epilepsy awareness in Canada. Click here to read the Purple Day Act.

March is also Epilepsy Awareness Month in Canada.

In celebration of Epilepsy Awareness Month and Purple Day, the BC Epilepsy Society has organized a talk called "All About Epilepsy." This event will feature speakers about the medical and social aspects of epilepsy, as well as stories from people who have it. This will be held on Purple Day (Tuesday, March 26th) from 7-9 pm in the Oak room at the Park Inn Hotel and Suites at 898 West Broadway in Vancouver. Refreshments will be served after the event. To pre-register, please contact our office at 604-875-6704 or at info@bcepilepsy.com

If you would like to host or participate in a Purple Day or Epilepsy Awareness Month event, we can help you! Click here for some ideas.

The BC Epilepsy Society has free epilepsy awareness and educational materials available. This includes information sheets, posters, ribbons, seizure first aid wallet cards, and bookmarks. To order any of these and for more information please contact our office at 604-875-6704 or at info@bcepilepsy.com 

Emily Dickenson - A prolific 19th Century American poet

Emily Dickinson is recognized as one of the greatest poets who ever lived. She produced over 1800 poems during her lifetime. Her poems were unique for her time as they contained short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.

Emily was not just known for her creativity though, she was also known for her extreme reclusiveness and other atypical behaviours.

Born in 1830 into a leading family of Amherst, a town in Massachusetts, she almost never left her family home. Because of this it was hypothesized that she suffered from mental illness. However, new research revealed in the biography Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family's Feuds indicate that her behaviours were potentially due to another medical condition. According to the author Lyndall Gordon, Dickinson may have had epilepsy.

With the diagnosis of epilepsy, many aspects of her life could be put into perspective. Her reclusiveness could have been caused by the fear of having a seizure in public. Her unwillingness to marry may have been another way to keep her condition a secret. People with epilepsy during her time were not supposed to marry, and some states passed laws against it. Even her tendency to only wear white and her strict adherence to routine could have been an attempt to reduce overstimulation (this was thought to potentially trigger seizures). Medical records show that she took a medication that was often prescribed to people with epilepsy. As well there was a family history of epilepsy (epilepsy can sometimes have a genetic component).

Several of her poems and letters refer to a sickness — and, Gordon says, certain lines within those poems indicate that Dickinson may have had seizures.

In her poems, the sickness she describes can be violent: she speaks of "Convulsion" or "Throe". There's a mechanism breaking down, a body dropping. It "will not stir for Doctors". "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain", she says, and "I dropped down, and down". Another poem states, "The Brain within its Groove / Runs evenly", but then a "Splinter swerve" makes it hard to put the current back.

In regards to whether she had epilepsy or not, the biographer stated, “I think that we have no way for knowing for certain, but if it’s true, it would explain everything.”

His epic stories and vivid characters gave an honest depiction of the issues of his time, particularly poverty, child abuse, and discrimination.

Frederic Chopin: 19th century French-Polish composer and piano virtuoso

This prolific musician and composer was known for writing passionate pieces on the piano. However, Chopin suffered from many health problems. This included frequent brief hallucinations and episodes of confusion and unresponsiveness.

Research published in a 2011 issue of the journal Medical Humanities proposed that these episodes were symptoms of temporal lobe epilepsy. This type of epilepsy can produce seizures that involve brief visual hallucinations, as well as loss of speech and awareness of surroundings.

During a performance in 1848 he suddenly stopped in the middle of a piece and left the stage without explanation. Chopin later told a friend that this was due to a hallucination in which he saw creatures emerging from the piano. At this time his behaviours and symptoms were attributed to his creative genius.

The research authors acknowledged that it is difficult to make a definitive diagnosis, but commented: "A condition such as that described in this article could easily have been overlooked by Chopin's doctors," adding that there was limited understanding of epilepsy at that time.

Susan Boyle: Scottish singer and former Britain’s Got Talent contestant

Susan Boyle came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV program Britain's Got Talent in 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables.

Within nine days of the audition, videos of Boyle from the show and various interviews were watched over 100 million times. In December 2009 her performance was the most watched YouTube video of the year with over 120 million viewings.

In a 2011 interview she revealed she had epilepsy as a child. Boyle told the Daily Mail's Weekend magazine: “I was protected in cotton wool. They [her parents] thought they were doing the right thing. They called me touchy. At school I used to faint a lot. It is something I've never talked about. I had epilepsy.”

Her first album was released in November 2009 and debuted as the number one best-selling album on charts around the world. It remains the best-selling debut album of all time in the UK.

DJ Hapa: A DJ and Scratch DJ Academy director

A DJ for over 16 years, Hapa started out his craft as a child by playing around with his parents records and mixing melodies from them using blank tapes. From his early beginnings his skills have progressed into making him a prominent force in the DJ world.

He has performed not just in nightclubs, but for companies and events such as Microsoft, ESPN, Red Bull, the Rose Bowl, NBA All-Star games, W Hotels, and Michael Jordan’s Celebrity Golf Tournament.

Hapa is currently the National Brand Director for the prestigious Scratch DJ Academy (a company that is considered to be a leader in DJ education.) He is also currently working with engineers to develop QnQ, a large format, transparent, multi-touch DJ console.

He has been upfront about his experiences with epilepsy and is a spokesperson for the Epilepsy Therapy Project and epilepsy.com

These are some of his experiences:

“I was an athlete in high school with a 4.2 GPA, and then all of a sudden this thing happens. I wake up in the middle of the night on the floor in my room. I had no idea how it happened. The next night, the same thing. I was rushed to the hospital and the doctors told me I had epilepsy.”

“One doctor in San Francisco told me that someone with my condition shouldn’t go to college. I’m 18 at this point and I decided I was going to do it anyway. I can’t thank my parents enough for supporting me. I created this unreal work ethic and drive and passion. I don’t think I’d be nearly as successful if it weren’t for my epilepsy.”

Click the image below to watch an epilepsy awareness video that he did for epilepsy.com

Neil Young: Canadian singer and guitarist

This singer-songwriter is seen as being one of the most respected and prolific rock/folk guitarists of the late 20th century. Raised in Canada, he has become well-known as a guitarist and vocalist not only for his solo work, but also for various bands including Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and Crazy Horse.

Young has been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has also been awarded the Order of Manitoba and is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

He is also known as being an outspoken advocate for various environmental and social issues. In 1986, he helped found a school for children with disabilities.

Young has three children. His daughter like himself, has epilepsy. His epilepsy started in his early 20's, just as he was first rising to fame. He has since learned to suppress his seizures. He stated "once you start controlling that, then you control all kinds of things," and "but it used to happen all the time back then, because I was running hot."

Despite having epilepsy, debilitating back problems, and a brain aneurysm, he still manages to create inspirational songs and express his political views through his music. 

Ian Curtis was the lead singer and lyricist of the English band Joy Division. They released two albums between 1979 and 1980 and became known as one of the bands that defined the musical genre known as post-punk.

This musical genre is more experimental than most typical rock and punk music. It often has odd musical timing and signatures, off-beat hooks, strong bass lines, and simple drumbeats.

Curtis was known for his deep voice, insightful and poignant lyrics, and an unique dance style. Note: sometimes people will refer to his movements as an “Epilepsy Dance” even though this term is inaccurate and can be seen as offensive to people with epilepsy.

Curtis suffered from a very public battle with epilepsy and depression. He was officially diagnosed with epilepsy when he was in his early 20s and began taking multiple anti-epileptic medications. However, his seizures continued.

The rock band lifestyle became increasing detrimental to his well-being and health as it exposed him to many potential triggers for seizures and depression, including sleep deprivation, alcohol use, flashing lights, and stress.  

By 1980, Joy Division were poised for success. They had a potential hit in their new song "Love Will Tear Us Apart", were highly regarded by music journalists, and were attracting bigger and bigger crowds. But the pressure of the band, his failing marriage, and his poor health reached a breaking point. Sadly these difficulties contributed to him taking his own life in 1980.

One of the band’s most popular songs was "She’s Lost Control." The lyrics were inspired by a young woman with epilepsy that he worked with in an employment program for people with disabilities. Some people with epilepsy may find the lyrics applicable to their experiences of and the unpredictability of seizures. The lyrics are below:

Tips to remember:

• Believe in yourself and do things that make you happy.


• Believe in your dreams, rights and abilities – but also be realistic.


• Keep or develop interests and hobbies.


• Make sure you are seen as a person first. You are not an epileptic. You are a person with interests, feelings, strengths, and weaknesses, who also has epilepsy.


• Tell your friends it's still okay to be invited out socially and do everyday things.


• Talk to others with epilepsy, or similar issues. They may have their own ways of coping with problems that may help you.


• You are allowed to have bad days. Everybody does. Remember that bad days will eventually be followed by better days.


• Try to think of life as a challenge and not as impossible. Never lose hope.


• Use humour to break the ice when other people are uncomfortable.


• Learn to accept help from people without feeling guilty or inadequate.


• Let people know when you want to make your own decisions.


• Fight the myths about epilepsy. Educate your family, close friends and teachers.