Epilepsy_services

Jeff Green | Aug 14, 2008

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Photo: Erin Daley at NFCS

Epilepsy Kingston was founded 23 years ago by Katherine Manley, the mother of an epileptic daughter, who became frustrated with the lack of information and support her family was receiving.

After spending years establishing support services in Kingston, Epilepsy Kingston has been developing outreach programs in the surrounding region, and has established service in Napanee and Brockville. The agency will now be having office hours in Sharbot Lake at the Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS) office on the third Friday of each month, and in Northbrook at the Land O'Lakes Community Services (LOLCS) office on the 2nd Friday.

“We wanted to make ourselves more available,” said Erin Daley, who will be staffing the Sharbot Lake day while Angela Smith will be travelling to Northbrook. “People have been phoning and looking for support services and they are not able to get to Kingston or Napanee.”

Epilepsy Kingston provides counselling and referrals for more in depth counselling. They also do advocacy and human rights work, and are available to do presentations in different settings.

“We can go to elementary schools, daycares, the workplace, anywhere we are invited,” said Erin Daley. “We are also looking for members for our advisory committee from the north.”

One of the issues that is faced by epileptics and their families is widespread misunderstandings about the condition, which is described on the Epilepsy Kingston website as “not a disease or a mental illness, but a symptom originating in the brain” which causes different kinds of seizures. Information about epilepsy is available at the Epilepsy Kingston website, or by calling 1-866 epilepsy.

To make an appointment to see Erin in Sharbot Lake or Angie in Northbrook, call NFCS at 613-279-3151, or LOLCS at 613-336-8934, or drop by during office hours.