Young Ambassadors with Epilepsy Advocate for Support and Research

Alexandra Rundlett, 10, and Gregory Laslo, 15, two young individuals living with epilepsy, will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional leaders and advocate for increased support for epilepsy public health programs and research. As part of the Kids Speak Up! program, coordinated by the Epilepsy Foundation, they will join 35 other young ambassadors with epilepsy to raise awareness about the condition and its impact on millions of Americans. The pair were selected for their courage and resilience in overcoming challenges associated with epilepsy, inspiring others with their determination.

Key Takeaways:

Alexandra Rundlett and Gregory Laslo, two young ambassadors with epilepsy, will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional leaders and advocate for epilepsy public health programs and research.
They are part of the Kids Speak Up! program, a national initiative coordinated by the Epilepsy Foundation with support from Abbott, which aims to raise awareness about epilepsy and its impact on young people.
Epilepsy affects approximately 3 million Americans, with 350,000 children under the age of 15 being particularly vulnerable to the condition.
Despite modern therapy, about 1 million people in the U.S. continue to experience seizures or significant side effects from treatment for their epilepsy.
Epilepsy imposes an annual economic burden of $15.5 billion on the nation in associated health care costs and losses in employment, wages, and productivity.
The Epilepsy Foundation is working to increase support for epilepsy public health programs and research through advocacy efforts like those led by Rundlett and Laslo.

Statistics:

3 million Americans live with epilepsy.
350,000 children under the age of 15 are affected by epilepsy.
1 million people in the U.S. continue to experience seizures or significant side effects from treatment for their epilepsy.
Epilepsy imposes an annual economic burden of $15.5 billion on the nation.
The Epilepsy Foundation has a program called Kids Speak Up!, which aims to raise awareness about epilepsy among young people.

Sources:

Rundlett and Laslo's trip to Washington, D.C.:

Alexandra Rundlett and Gregory Laslo will travel to Washington, D.C. on Sunday, March 29 through Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

Epilepsy Foundation's Kids Speak Up! program:

Coordinated by the Epilepsy Foundation with support from Abbott.

Eric R. Hargis, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation:

Quote by Eric R. Hargis in the article.

Biotech Week editors and reports: