Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario Goes Virtual For Annual Event

Monday, 31 August 2020 08:43

Photo credit: Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario

Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario is holding it's Annual Seize the Day walk/run online this year. It will raise funds to provide support and educational services to those living with the disease.

SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO - Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario's (ESWO) 7th Annual Seize the Day walk/run is going to be virtual this year.

It'll raise funds to provide support and educational services to people living with epilepsy, along with their families and communities. It'll go from September 12th - 27th.

Participants are encouraged to register for this year's virtual event online and during the two week window they can complete their 5K run or 2.5K walk at their convenience.

Whether walking you're walking on your own or as a team to support a family member affected by epilepsy, in memory of someone who has passed away from a seizure or to raise awareness, ESWO hopes to bring the community together to know they're not alone in this journey.

Quinn's Army is a top fundraising team made up of friends and family of Quinn Cook and Scott Sheriff. Quinn is a 4-year-old girl who began having infantile spasms at 13 months old. She was diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome at three years old, despite countless medications and treatments. Both are catastrophic forms of epilepsy. Scott Sheriff is a 34-year-old who has struggled with epilepsy his entire life.

Quinn's grandmother Sue Cook formed Quinn's Army and brought these two families together.

Quinn's Army is on a mission to educate anyone who will listen about epilepsy. They are currently at the halfway mark of their fundraising goal of $10,000.

Quinn's mom, Nichole, shared that her team hopes to support the epilepsy community and one of the ways to accomplish this is by choosing to participate in ESWO's annual event. Nichole recognizes the need for the necessary funding to run ESWO and how important fundraising is to make sure this fundamental service continues to operate.
Nichole also believes that Seize the Day is a chance to celebrate extraordinary epilepsy warriors who live their lives in a constant state of unknown; in a world that doesn't have the understanding of the accommodations necessary to create inclusion and equality.

She feels this annual event provides a sense of community and camaraderie that can't be replicated.

Although we can't be together, Nichole says Quinn's Army will keep making every effort to put this event at the forefront of their social media platforms, raise money and walk/run in honour of Quinn, Scott and everyone struggling with epilepsy.

You can go here to register for the event.