Students and staff at Forbes’ Goodstart Early Learning Centre this week ‘turned purple’ to promote epilepsy awareness.
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According to a Goodstart spokesperson, staff and students dressed in purple, made purple masks, played in purple slime and purple water and purple playdough.
“We ate purple food,” she said, “and gathered together to read a book ‘My Friend Tom’, a book about epilepsy.”
Throughout March, Epilepsy Awareness Month, Epilepsy Australia is urging people around the country to end the stigma and discrimination of epilepsy and ‘GO PURPLE’, the international colour for epilepsy.
Epilepsy is a common brain disorder which takes the form of recurring seizures.
It can develop at any age, regardless of gender or ethnicity.
An estimated 65 million worldwide currently live with epilepsy - in Australia alone approximately 250,000 people live with epilepsy and one in 25 people will have epilepsy at some point in their life.
Purple Day aims to encourage people to talk about epilepsy and to remind those who live with seizures, that they are not alone.
Founded in 2008 by a young Canadian girl called Cassidy Megan, it has since become a global campaign dedicated to increasing epilepsy awareness worldwide.
This year Purple Day falls on Easter Saturday so Epilepsy Australia encouraged the community to pick any day this month to ‘GO PURPLE’ to support and increase awareness and understanding of epilepsy - and Goodstart Forbes chose Wednesday, March 16.
Epilepsy Day has the theme ‘Colour Your World Purple and Take Action for Epilepsy’, and there are many ways to get involved:
· Host an event within your community, school or work that includes a touch of purple.
Ideas include: high tea, cupcake stall, movie night, dinner party, trivia night, sausage sizzle, fete, book fair, dog walk or sporting activity (bike ride/walk/run/swim).
· Buy merchandise (t-shirts, hats, key rings, pens, wristbands) EAA’s online shop.
· Snap up some incredible art at Epilepsy Action Australia’s Art for Epilepsy online auction. Around 50 Australian artists, both prominent and upcoming, have donated work to be auctioned off to raise funds to support those impacted by epilepsy across the country. Visit Artforepilepsy.com.au.
- Phone 1300 37 45 37 to make a Purple Day donation, or visit www.epilepsy.org.au to learn more about Purple Day and be inspired to support Australians living with epilepsy.
