At Epilepsy Ottawa, we've been working hard to respond to the unfamiliar circumstances brought on by COVID-19. As many of you know, we are now providing our services remotely over the phone and online. Not only does this include everyday client services, but also the monthly Social Group, the Parent Support Group, and Clinic to Community meetings. To help members who are feeling isolated or simply want to stay connected with our epilepsy community, we've launched a weekly Daytime Social Group on Mondays at 1pm.
Read on to find out more about our upcoming activities and events.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to provide these services remotely. We look forward to seeing you all eventually in person.
Stay safe and healthy everyone!
-Nikki, Jamie, and Sandi
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Parents have enough to worry about when making decisions about your child's schooling this fall. Let Epilepsy Ottawa help ease some of the stress of going back to school when it comes to your child's epilepsy.
Whether it's helping with Seizure Safety Plans for students returning to the classroom or doing online learning, age-appropriate educational presentations for students as early as kindergarten, or Seizure Smart presentations for teaching staff led by one of our educators, we can help.
Email us, give us a call, or visit our website for more information. We're here to help you make the 2020-21 school year as safe and successful as possible.
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Win Big with the Epilepsy 50/50 Raffle!
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Epilepsy Ottawa is partnering with Epilepsy Ontario and community epilepsy agencies across the province for a monthly, online 50/50 Raffle. Local ticket sales support local epilepsy services. Tickets are 3 for $5, 10 for $10, or 60 for $20.
As of 4pm on Monday, August 24, the prize is over $3,000!
Don't wait. Buy your ticket today at epilepsy5050.ca
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We now host our Social Groups and Parent Support Group on Zoom. Once you RSVP to a meeting, we will send you the log in details.
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Parent Support Group
Wednesday, September 9
7PM-8PM
RSVP
Wednesday, October 7
7PM-8PM
RSVP
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Social Group
Wednesday, September 23
6PM-7:30PM
RSVP
Wednesday, October 21
6PM-7:30PM
RSVP
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Our new Daytime Social Group is at 1pm on Mondays. Visit our events page to RSVP.
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These meetings are a great way to stay connected and supportive of each other. Visit Epilepsy Ottawa's website for the latest on our upcoming events and activities!
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Get Cyber Sleuthing with the Escape Manor Virtual Mystery Challenge!
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There are just a couple of weeks left for you to play virtual detective with friends and family while supporting epilepsy services in our community. This summer, Escape Manor is donating a portion of the sales from their online mystery Taken: The Swiss Account to Epilepsy Ottawa. Labour Day is the last day!
It's just $24.99/group to play. Use the promo code EPILEPSYOTT when making your purchase and Escape Manor will give Epilepsy Ottawa $4.
The Epilepsy Ottawa team solved the mystery challenge in 82 minutes. Can you beat us?
Visit escapemanor.ca/taken to start your cyber sleuthing journey! Don't forget to use the promo code EPILEPSYOTT to support epilepsy services in our community.
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The Third Annual Ottawa Fire Truck Pull is shifting gears in 2020
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Due to the challenges posed by the global pandemic, our team has been hard at work adapting the Ottawa Fire Truck Pull this year. With health and safety in mind, we are planning a scaled down event with all the fun, competition, and team spirit you’ve come to expect.
On Saturday, September 26th, teams of firefighters will demonstrate that they have the fortitude to pull a 10+ tonne fire truck 100 feet. Teams will compete to see who can pull the truck the fastest, raise the most money for a good cause, and demonstrate the most team spirit.
If you’re not a firefighter but want to get involved, there are plenty of ways to participate virtually. This year we’re adding “Fan Teams” - people who will help their favourite firefighter team raise funds and show team spirit for a chance to win prizes.
Check out the Ottawa Fire Truck Pull website for the latest updates, or follow the event on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Epilepsy Ottawa is preparing to help UPLIFT quality of life with new program
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 For those with epilepsy who also struggle with depression and anxiety, it can be difficult finding helpful mental health services that also consider the emotional effects of epilepsy. That is why researchers from EpLink, the epilepsy research program at the Ontario Brain Institute, have introduced UPLIFT to community epilepsy agencies in Ontario.
"Using Practice and Learning to Increase Favourable Thoughts,” or “UPLIFT,” is a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program. Developed by Dr. Nancy J. Thompson at Emory University, the UPLIFT program was designed to help adults with epilepsy experiencing mood challenges.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy programs can be helpful for anyone with mood disorders. However, what makes the UPLIFT program different is how it caters to adults with epilepsy. Since it’s delivered over the telephone or videoconferencing, the program addresses issues like transportation, wait time, and cost barriers that traditional therapy may create in addition to the effects of epilepsy on mental health.
To learn more about UPLIFT and read the full article, please visit our website.
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Epilepsy Ottawa kicked off our Go the Distance Fitness Challenge Fundraiser in May with the agency’s Executive Director, Nikki Porter, challenging herself to walk 10K within 2 hours and raise money to bring the program UPLIFT to Eastern Ontario.
There are now four teams taking up the challenge. Each team set their own fitness challenge and fundraising goal, and they are aiming to #GoTheDistance by September 7.
To learn more about the participating teams, visit our website. To support the campaign, DONATE NOW
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Epilepsy agencies across the province have teamed up to create a series of Facebook Live webinars to keep people informed and to educate them. During the live stream, viewers have the opportunity to ask the featured speakers questions. Afterwards, the videos are available to watch any time.
In June, Epilepsy Ottawa hosted a webinar on improving epilepsy surgery outcomes with Dr. Mary Pat Andrews, the co-director at EpLink. This webinar is still available to watch on our Facebook page.
To keep up to date on upcoming webinars or watch previous ones, check out the agency links below. (Click on the agency names to link to their Facebook Video page.)
Epilepsy Ottawa
- Eplink Research Update on Improving Epilepsy Surgery Outcomes with Mary Pat McAndrews, PhD
Epilepsy Toronto
- Women and Epilepsy with Darcia Paul and Paula Marques
- VNS (Vagus Nerve Stimulation) with Cameron Finlay of LivaNova
- Managing Family Dynamics during Covid-19 with family therapist, professor and author, Theo Selles
- Epilepsy Medication and Covid-19 with pharmacist Laura Wang and Dr. Eduoard Bercovici
- Working from Home with Epilepsy Employment Specialist Jesse Preston
- Managing Anxiety during Covid-19 with Dr. David Gold
- Covid-19 & Epilepsy with Nurse Practitioner Ivanna Yau and Dr. Evan Lewis
Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario
- Youth, Mental Health and Epilepsy
- Epilepsy Treatment Options with Dr. Andrea Andrade
- Coping with the Stress of Covid-19 with Dr. Sarah Vernon-Scott
- Epilepsy Care in the Covid-19 Pandemic with Dr. Sayed Mirsattari
- An Overview of the Seizure Response Dog Program with Ian Ashworth, Dog Guides of Canada
- Comorbidities of Epilepsy for Children with Dr. Elizabeth Kerr
- SUDEP: Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy with Dr. Elizabeth Donner
- Epilepsy Surgery with Dr. Taufiq Valiante
- Medically Supervised Ketogenic Diet Therapy and Epilepsy with Jennifer Fabe, Registered Dietician and President of Matthew's Friends Canada
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Our Commitment to Anti-Racism
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Epilepsy Ottawa stands in solidarity with our members, colleagues, partners and greater community against systemic anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, hate, and inequality. We have taken this time to listen and learn from Black and Indigenous voices and we have taken this time to reflect on ourselves.
Epilepsy is a disease that does not discriminate. Anyone of any culture, race, gender-identity or age can develop epilepsy. But we know that systemic racism and inequality amplifies the challenges that our members who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour with epilepsy face every day. It creates additional obstacles through each stage of their journey. This cannot be tolerated.
Please visit our website to read Epilepsy Ottawa's complete statement.
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