Epilepsy camp mixes fun, support

SHARING-Casey Pepe, 18, a volunteer at the epilepsy summeweekend camp held at Mount Crags recently, listens to children share their stories of life with epilepsy. Often children with epilepssuffer from teasing by their peers, which can lead to social isolationMore than 2.7 million people in America live with the illness. Fomore information, visit www.epilepsy-socalif.org. For children, summer camp can be a positive, fun, memorable experience. For children with epilepsy, the recreational and social activities that camp offers are especially important, as they can help build confidence and self-esteem.

For 22 years, the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles has been offering a family camp where children with epilepsy, their siblings and their parents are brought together in a relaxed, social environment.

Children can participate in traditional camp activities without concerns about being ostracized. And while the children are having fun, families enjoy camp experiences and learn more about epilepsy and its impact.

This year's event was held last weekend at Mount Crags in Tapia Park outside Calabasas.

"At our camp we create a fun, interactive and safe environment that helps reinforce for children with epilepsy that they are productive and capable, and reminds them that they are not alone," said Susan Pietsch, executive director of the L.A. Epilepsy Foundation.

"In addition to offering recreational activities such as challenge courses, swimming, carnival and arts and crafts, we conduct sessions that educate family members on how to live more successfully with epilepsy."

This year, camp organizers launched a new educational program sponsored by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc. The Excelling with Epilepsy program is designed to help parents and children sort through the latest news on the disorder and focus on the information that is most useful to them.

Dr. Raman Sankar, director of the Pediatric Neurology Program at UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital, led an interactive presentation for parents addressing medical and psychological topics pertaining to epilepsy.

"We're hoping that caregivers gain a better understanding of how they can help manage their loved one's epilepsy on a medical and emotional front," Sankar said.

Although it's one of the oldest and most common neurological disorders, there is still a stigma associated with epilepsy, a stigma which is often fueled by misinformation.

Approximately 300,000 children in the United States under the age of 14 have epilepsy. The disease is characterized by seizures, which are caused by a sudden change in how brain cells send electrical signals to each other. These seizures vary from a momentary disruption of the senses to short periods of unconsciousness or staring spells, to convulsions.

For more information about epilepsy and the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles and Camp Family Fun and Friendship, visit www.epilepsy-socalif.org http:// www.epilepsy-socalif.org .

The Epilepsy Foundation voluntary health organization was established in 1967 and works to ensure that people with seizures are able to participate in all life experiences; to improve the ways in which people with epilepsy are perceived, accepted and valued in society; and to promote research for a cure.