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File #: 140917    Version: 0 Name:
Type: Resolution Status: ADOPTED
File created: 11/13/2014 In control: CITY COUNCIL
On agenda: Final action: 11/13/2014
Title: Recognizing November 2014 as Epilepsy Awareness Month in honor of individuals living with epilepsy, their families and those working to improve their quality of life.
Sponsors: Councilmember O'Brien, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Neilson, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Henon
Attachments: 1. Signature14091700.pdf
Title
Recognizing November 2014 as Epilepsy Awareness Month in honor of individuals living with epilepsy, their families and those working to improve their quality of life.
 
Body
WHEREAS, Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions.  It's also called a seizure disorder. When a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, they are considered to have epilepsy; and
 
WHEREAS, A seizure happens when a brief, strong surge of electrical activity affects part or all of the brain. 1 in 10 adults will have a seizure sometime during their life; and
 
WHEREAS, Epilepsy afflicts 65 million people around the world with 2.2 million afflicted in the United States; and
 
WHEREAS, Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder.  1 in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy at some point in their respective lifetimes and 300,000 children under the age of 15 are affected by the illness; and
 
WHEREAS, Approximately150,000 new cases of epilepsy are developed and 50,000 people die from epilepsy-related causes in the U.S. each year; and
 
WHEREAS, One third of those suffering from epilepsy live with uncontrollable seizures due to a lack of treatment; and
 
WHEREAS, The estimated annual medical costs and lost or reduced earnings and production totals $15.5 billion; and
 
WHEREAS, It is estimated that 25,350 Philadelphians and 109,000 individuals in eastern Pennsylvania are living with epilepsy; and
 
WHEREAS, The Epilepsy Foundation, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation, was founded in 1972 under the name The Epilepsy Foundation of Philadelphia. The name was revised to reflect the organization's broader service area of Eastern Pennsylvania; and
 
WHEREAS, Services offered by the Foundation - most of which are free - include monthly Adult Support Group meetings, young adult programs aimed to foster independence and socialization skills, a weeklong overnight camp for kids, teens and young adults known as Camp Achieve and an annual Information and Education Conference; now, therefore, be it
 
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That November 2014 be recognized as Epilepsy Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia.
 
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