Founder's Note

HarborPath is excited to share a meaningful new collaboration with Canine Assistants, an organization doing remarkable work training service dogs for individuals with epilepsy.

We're beginning work with an ambassador golden retriever named KJ, who was born in July and is just starting a roughly two-year training journey with Jennifer Arnold, executive director of Canine Assistants, and her team. The goal is for KJ to eventually work with children and serve as a HarborPath ambassador to help raise awareness, understanding, and advocacy around epilepsy and seizure disorders.

Through our work with the HarborPath Policy Council, I've been spending more time learning about the real-world impact of epilepsy in America. One of the most remarkable things I've learned is the life-saving role that highly trained dogs can play. Canine Assistants educates and places seizure response dogs with individuals living with epilepsy. These dogs are trained to stay with their human companions during a seizure, retrieve a phone or summon help when needed, and provide calm, steady support in moments that can otherwise be frightening and dangerous. In some cases, dogs even develop the ability to sense and react to an oncoming seizure before it happens.



What makes Canine Assistants' approach particularly compelling is their Bond-Based methodology. With the motto "cooperation not coercion," Canine Assistants puts trust, connection, and emotional intelligence at the core of meaningful support between a service dog and their human companions.

This partnership reflects HarborPath's broader mission: to serve unmet needs and support innovative solutions that make a tangible difference in people's lives. We're grateful to be on this journey with the Canine Assistants team and can't wait to share more updates as KJ grows into his role.

-Ken Trogdon, President of HarborPath

Understanding SUDEP: The HarborPath Policy Council's Work to Prevent Sudden Death in Epilepsy

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) is a leading cause of death among people living with epilepsy, yet many patients and families are never informed of the risk. 

SUDEP most often occurs following a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, frequently during sleep. While research is ongoing, evidence suggests that respiratory suppression, cardiac arrhythmias, and post-seizure brain shutdown may contribute. Despite clinical guidelines recommending that patients and families be informed about SUDEP, awareness remains low. Many families report learning about SUDEP only after a tragedy occurs.

The HarborPath Policy Council is working in several states to advance education, awareness, and policy solutions that reduce preventable deaths and improve outcomes for individuals and families affected by epilepsy. Our advocacy efforts focus on enacting smart policy changes - from mandatory patient and caregiver education to improved data collection through accurate death certificate reporting. These initiatives strengthen prevention, support research, and ensure families have access to essential treatment and information.



Through cross-sector collaboration, the HarborPath Policy Council works to advance policies that expand access to care, strengthen education and awareness, and protect lives.

OU Student-Athlete Danny Okoye Takes HarborPath Message to ESPN's SEC Network

Danny Okoye, a defensive lineman for the University of Oklahoma and student-athlete ambassador for HarborPath, joined The Paul Finebaum Show on ESPN's SEC Network on February 10 to discuss his community service and NIL partnership with HarborPath.

During the interview, Okoye spoke about what drew him to HarborPath's naloxone outreach program. He shared that his interest was immediate, mentioning family members who are firefighters and have shared stories about the medication's critical role in life-or-death situations. Okoye used the segment to share how he witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of drug abuse and overdoses within his community and has personal acquaintances who have struggled with these issues.

"This is definitely something that can make an impact - not just in my community, but everyone's lives," Okoye told Finebaum.

Ken's Take

Danny's work on HarborPath's social media awareness campaign has helped direct his fellow OU students to free naloxone on campus. Fentanyl is the No. 1 killer of young people in the United States, and we know that college campuses can be a common location for accidental overdoses.

Colleges and universities remain a priority for HarborPath due to the higher risk of accidental overdose that can occur at parties, dorm rooms, and around campus. HarborPath's campaign with OU takes a unique approach: having student-athletes address their peers directly and encourage them to take action by accessing free naloxone and on-campus resources.

It's why we partner with organizations like FFF Enterprises, who share our commitment to making overdose prevention tools, like the ODRescue Kit, accessible and easy to deploy. Their efficient distribution of naloxone and support for campus-based solutions make it easier for universities to protect students in areas most vulnerable to overdose or fentanyl poisoning.



We're grateful for Danny using his platform to spread this important message, and for the SEC Network providing this opportunity to reach a national audience about the importance of overdose prevention education.

You can watch a clip from the interview here.

News You Need to Know About the Fentanyl Crisis

• The Oklahoman: Oklahoma's overdose deaths are down 43%
• Wichita State Sunflower: Kansas AG Delivers Naloxone to Campus
• KGNS News: Arizona teen provides naloxone to schools after personal overdose experience
•  WIBW News: Kansas House advances bill to stock naloxone in schools, teach opioid dangers

Help us make a difference by providing lifesaving drugs to those in need.

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