Young, gifted and living with epilepsy? Epilepsy Action needs you

Imagine being able to tell your friends about your epilepsy and finding that it’s no big deal.  Imagine getting the epilepsy information you need when you want it, leaving you free to just get on with it.

The theme of National Epilepsy Week this year is young people with epilepsy. Having epilepsy, seizures and taking anti-epileptic drugs may have a huge impact on the lives of teenagers with epilepsy. It may affect how you cope in lessons, what sports you play and what time you go to bed. 

To make National Epilepsy Week successful, Epilepsy Action is asking all young people with epilepsy to be upfront about epilepsy.

One way to be upfront is to take part in our online Upfront survey. This survey will take just two minutes to complete, and you will also be entered into a prize draw.

By taking part in the survey you will tell us how your epilepsy affects your life. You will also help show us whether young people are receiving the right level of information, care and support. The survey can be completed anonymously if you like. If you chose to provide us with your details we won’t use those details without parental consent.

Another way to be upfront is to contact Epilepsy Action and ask about becoming a media volunteer. As a media volunteer you can support our campaign by talking to us about your epilepsy. You may be able to review our information for young people. Or you may be asked to talk to a journalist about your epilepsy. Media volunteers enable Epilepsy Action to help more people to understand epilepsy.

If you are under eighteen and would like to be a media volunteer, we would need your parent or carer’s permission too. Perhaps your parent or carer would also like to become a media volunteer. Some newspapers and magazines would like to parents and carers to share their experiences too. Parents and carers can offer advice on how to better support young people with epilepsy. 

To find out more about become a media volunteer, either:

• visit the media volunteer page on our website,
• or telephone the press office on 0113 210 8800.

Please remember to visit www.epilepsy.org.uk/teenagesurvey for details and to find out how completing the survey could win you great prizes!