Epilepsy awareness 

Experiencing an epileptic seizure can be quite scary. It comes as a wave of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can lead to a wide spectrum of symptoms. These symptoms can range from feeling lightly nauseous and unsteady, to exhibiting uncontrollable jerking movements and losing consciousness. It can be debilitating, not only at the moment of experiencing a seizure, but also while going about your daily life, not knowing when one might strike.

In the interest of safety, people suffering from epilepsy may confide in close people around them, who may be able to lend a hand when necessary. Patients are also encouraged to wear tags with their name, condition, emergency contact information and a simple set of instructions on what to do in an event of a seizure. Such a tag can be useful for an accidental witness to decide on what actions to take next. But what about everyone else? Isn’t it also scary to let people into your inner world? Do you need to keep the condition under wraps in fear of potential stigma associated with it? How do you begin a conversation with a new friend, roommate or a potential life partner? How can you start it on a light and positive note?

This is where art and jewelry can come in handy. Of course, you can wear a purple ribbon, representing your support of epilepsy research. But is that enough? Does it make a distinction between your passion for a cause and a deeply personal connection? It is hard to say. It also feels very mainstream, where everyone would use the same symbol, unifying the message, but losing the unique individual experience.

Just like drawing portraits, patient awareness art should be tailored to every individual, portraying their personal experience. At the same time, it needs to follow the common imagery that people are used to understanding. Similarly to the previous dyslexia bracelet, this epilepsy awareness bracelet merges the commonly used purple ribbon with the deep internal sense of bright sparks of electricity racing through the brain. It can help to start a dialogue by drawing attention to the inherent beauty of biological processes that run below the surface of a misunderstood condition.

Please contact me if you are interested in this bracelet or a custom made one for raising awareness of other disorders.