By Sebastian Kanally, Times Chronicle

Get out your purple shirts, hats and pins, as Oliver will recognize March 26, 2025 as International Purple Day for Epilepsy Awareness. 

The BC Epilepsy Society made the request to Oliver council which was presented and agreed upon at their Jan. 6 meeting. 

The idea for International Purple day for Epilepsy Awareness took shape back in 2008 by a nine-year old Cassidy Megan from Nova Scotia. 

Megan, founder of the International Epilepsy Awareness Campaign, was motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy and wanted to get people talking about epilepsy to dispel myths and inform those with the condition that they are not alone. 

The BC Epilepsy Society explains that epilepsy is a medical condition that results in recurring seizures impacting around one in 100 people at some point in their lifetime. 

Epilepsy’s onset can begin at any stage of life and does not discriminate against age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, geographic location, or sexual orientation. 

“A seizure is a sudden, brief, and temporary disturbance of electrical activity in the brain. There are over 40 different kinds of seizures which can alter consciousness, movement, sensation, speech, awareness, and behaviour.”

Purple day’s efforts to increase awareness around this condition helps the general public recognize common seizure types or respond with appropriate first aid. 

This day of recognition can work towards improving the quality of life for people living with epilepsy. 

The town’s motion reads that this can be done through “creating a society that embraces the beauty of difference and helps us understand how we can all come together to make the world a better place”. 

On March 26, people in communities around the world are encouraged to wear purple and host various events to support awareness of epilepsy. 

The BC Epilepsy Society is a provincially incorporated non-profit organization and a federally registered charitable organization and their website explains they serve people living with epilepsy in BC and their families, friends and loved ones and works to raise awareness of epilepsy in the communities in which we live.

More information on the BC Epilepsy Society can be found on their website.