March 2015 NEWSLETTER
Serving epilepsy patients in Northern California from Fresno to Monterey to the Oregon border


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Donate Used Goods &
Shop Savers
Berkeley, Dublin, Vacaville
D onations benefit the 
Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California and  are tax deductible .
(855) 336-0212
Savers accepts all gently used clothing and housewares.
Free Training | Education
Schools, businesses and community groups receive free training on seizure recognition and first aid. 
Schedule yours today:
katie@epilepsynorcal.org
(415) 677-4011

#DareTo Smile For Epilepsy
Every time you shop Amazon using smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate to EFNC and it doesn't cost you a penny! You get all the same products and deals you're already getting by shopping at Amazon. Happy Shopping! Happy Smiles!
Thank You
2015 Stroll Sponsors
Sprinter
  
With Gratitude to
2014 Gala Sponsors

Gold 
Remick Family Foundation

 
Silver
Prakash Arunachalam
Chrisman Family Trust
Falasco Keeney Family
Edie E. Zusman MD &
Stephen Pratt

 
 
Pacific Brain and Spine
 

Benefactor
Ken and Veronika Archer
Nancy and Fred Teichert
Charles Wilson, MD &
Frances Petrocelli
Frank and Lesley Yeary

Meet Alyssa, SmartWatch Winner! 


Alyssa and family
Congratulations to Alyssa from San Jose, CA on winning the SmartWatch raffle! Alyssa's mom Monique entered Alyssa in the raffle hoping for a SmartWatch. Alyssa, 16 years old, began having seizures at eight months. She had hundreds of seizures per day but thankfully her seizures have decreased to about four per month. 
C urrently home schooled, Alyssa's seizures have affected her learning. On good days she retains concepts learned but regresses when a seizure occurs. Alyssa's best pal, her service dog 'Elmo', cheers her up! "Elmo allows Alyssa to sleep more comfortably and calms her down when she is upset," Monique says. With this SmartWatch, Monique will have early detection of seizures AND as a parent, give her peace of mind. 
Epilepsy Awareness Stroll 

Start-A-Team! Find-A-Team! Donate!

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo 


Saturday, May 16, 2015

 

Invite Your Family, Friends, Colleagues!

Minimum of $100/ person
(but don't stop there!!!) 

 


Includes
: Access to all Six Flags rides, Continental Breakfast, Lunch, Soft Drinks, Tee-Shirt, Raffle Ticket (chance to win a trip for a family of four to San Diego!)
 


2014 Stroll Photos
The Next Wave of Scientists
Learning is fun! Frontiers for Young Minds is a web-based scientific journal with an editorial board of kids. Y oung people serve not only as the target audience, but also as critical participants in the review of manuscripts written by expert researchers. Youth, eight to 15 years old,  provide feedback to  leading scientists  on articles about their cutting-edge discoveries. The result is a journal of freely available scientific articles that are written by leading scientists and shaped for younger audiences by the input of their peers.

Editor in Chief Robert Knight MDUniversity of California Berkeley, was the 2014 Honoree at our Annual Candlelight Gala. Dr. Knight had  the vision of an editorial board made up young people. Frontiers is committed to building bridges to connect research communities and attract more young people to science. Frontiers for Young Minds extends these bridges to younger audiences, providing a catalyst to build on their natural curiosity. Check It Out!
Camp Plans?  Sign Up  Today!
Coelho Epilepsy Youth Summer Camp
August 2-7, 2015
CYO Camp, Occidental, CA
Ages 9-17
Tuition: $600 (Scholarships Available)
Included: Room & Board (5 nights--Sunday to Friday), Tee-Shirt, Fun Activities, Specialized Medical Support
Flyer here--Spread the Word!  
Mighty Mike Basketball Camp
May 3, 2015
Sacred Heart Preparatory School Atherton, CA
12:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.
Ages 7-14
Tuition: $20
(Scholarships Available)
Included: tee-shirt, basketball
Bring a Sibling/Friend!
Deadline: April 17, 2015
Flyer here

To learn more about the Bounce Out the Stigma Program, click here

Questions? 415.677.4011/ tracie@epilepsynorcal.org
Research Study Opportunities
Group Psychotherapy for Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder (Conversion Disorder)
Developed by  John Barry MD , Kim Bullock MD , Craig Forte, LCSW, Sepideh Bajestan MD, PhDand Ariela Karasov MD
  • Group psychotherapy for people with Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder or Conversion Disorder or Non-epileptic seizures.
  • In addition to providing therapy for those who join the groups, the study will help us understand how to better match psychotherapy to the individual.
  • Groups are based on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy models.
  • Groups meet once a week.
Note: Space is limited; group will be filled first-come, first-served with eligible participants.  Many major insurances accepted.

Interested? Contact Ariela Karasov MD at 650.723.8659 
STRIVE  Survey:
D escribes a research study for a  specific type of epilepsy surgery in comparison to continued medical treatment, and then asks patients to think about whether, if they were asked to participate in a similar study, they would do so. Take survey here .

D eveloped by  Robert Knowlton, MD , Director of the UCSF Seizure Disorders Surgery Program  and  Co-Chair of our Professional Advisory Board .

Do you have seizures and difficulty with concentration, memory or thinking?

The Stanford Neurology Department is currently conducting a trial investigating the safety and effectiveness of the stimulant methylphenidate (Ritalin�), commonly used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), for the treatment of thinking problems commonly experienced by people with seizures. 

Developed by  Kimford Meador, MD  and  John Barry, MD  

Interested? Contact: Jesse Adams MD, 408.996.7950 x 163