Latest news and information

You may remember we introduced you to Harrison Hedges, who lives with epilepsy and cerebral palsy, last year with the inspiring story of opening his own coffee shop Whatcha Brewing Co at Big Top Maroochydore Shopping Centre. Now it seems he has added TV star to his list of growing accomplishments.

Please encourage Sian in her endeavour to race in Gravity Enduro Mountain biking this year with funds raised going to Epilepsy Queensland. Sian has been fearless trying to carry on her extreme sports life she has always lived for, after her epilepsy diagnosis in 2019.

Help us PURPLE MUCK our Chief Executive, Chris, for epilepsy awareness.

Show you care and dare to be covered in purple muck to raise funds and awareness for the 65 million people around the world whose lives are interrupted by epilepsy!

Become the host with the most this March. Host a morning tea, a BBQ, a girl’s night in or even a games night. Host at home, at work or the local park – the choice is yours. Help raise funds and awareness for epilepsy.

Find out how Epilepsy Queensland is serving the epilepsy community.

Join the ultimate Purple Day Event on March 26 and climb the Story Bridge at twilight just as it lights up purple for World Purple Day. There is no better way to make March Purple for epilepsy!

Purple Day is Epilepsy Queensland's biggest awareness and fundraising event of the year. We'd love you to join in with us!

An estimated 12,000 children in Queensland are currently living with epilepsy. Purple Day is a wonderful way for your school to show support for children and teachers living with epilepsy and help raise awareness and vitally needed funds.

To coincide with International Epilepsy Day, Epilepsy Queensland introduced a new visionary awards program, with each award aligning with the values of our organisation. Congratulations to our deserving award recipients for 2020.

Melissa's 12 year old son and father live with epilepsy. Read about Melissa's thoughts on epilepsy care and how our organisation can have the biggest impact for people living with epilepsy.

Shop purple epilepsy supporter merchandise here.

In the lead-up to International Epilepsy Day and our awards on 8 February, we interviewed our ambassador, Lakeisha "Lucky" Patterson OAM. Lucky generously shares with us her experience of living with epilepsy, her involvement with our organisation and her passion for raising epilepsy awareness in the wider community.

Nicole is a two-time stroke survivor and was diagnosed with epilepsy after her second stroke in 2016. Find out more about Nicole's battle with medication side- effects, her passion for seizure first aid and stroke awareness, and her hopes for the future.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has provisionally approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia. Ahead of the roll-out, we have compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions about epilepsy and COVID-19 vaccinations.

A number of you have made contact to let us know that more support and connection is needed for families who have lost someone to epilepsy. Epilepsy Queensland would like to work with you to make this possible.

Neil, 44, from Banyo, Brisbane has a tale of incredible fortitude to share with us. When he emigrated from the UK in 2008, a year after meeting Aussie woman, Shannon, (now his loving wife), little did he know Australia’s sunny shores would hold some bleak times and be the place where he would endure four surgeries. As he points out, "Three of these were on my head!"

Brett, 25, has been living with epilepsy since he was born, after a difficult birth in which his Mum was whisked away for an emergency delivery. With support and understanding, Brett has built a busy and rewarding life, proving living well with epilepsy can be possible.

22 -year-old Brisbane woman Maddie Gill sadly passed away from SUDEP in December 2020. You can contribute to her family's fundraising efforts here.

SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) is defined as an unexplained or unexpected death in a person with epilepsy where no clear cause of death is determinable after a postmortem examination.

Having a diagnosis of epilepsy may impact your driving status. At Epilepsy Queensland, we understand the challenges and concerns relating to a change in driving status, even if this is on a temporary- basis. It is important to discuss transport and driving guidelines with your GP or neurologist to determine your travel options.

So you, or someone in your care, have received an epilepsy diagnosis. Now what? Here at Epilepsy Queensland, we understand that this can be a stressful time with change and challenges to be navigated. We want you to know you are not alone.

The latest Play for Purpose draw is open. Lottery tickets are only $10 each and you have the chance to win a share of $500k in prizes! What’s more, every ticket sold means we can dedicate more funding to improving the quality of life of people with epilepsy.

For people with epilepsy, employment is often an important focus. Many people with epilepsy can, and do, find and maintain work. People with epilepsy can work in a range of occupations and generally epilepsy is not a factor in a person’s ability to do a job well.

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a collection of symptoms such as blackouts, paralysis and atypical movements that suggest the presence of an underlying neurological condition, yet cannot be explained by disease or anatomical abnormalities.

Madaline Guilk embodies the spirit of determination. The nineteen-year-old from Ipswich, who lives with a rare form of epilepsy called Jeavons Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a resilient person who is focused on giving back.

Epilepsy Queensland provides ‘Understanding Epilepsy’ & ‘Seizure Recognition, First Aid and Administration of Midazolam’ training.

One in ten people will have a seizure in their lifetime, which means it is likely you will encounter someone who may need your help. At Epilepsy Queensland it is our aim for one person in every household to know basic seizure first aid.

Some people with epilepsy find that certain factors may induce seizures- these are known as seizure triggers. Find our fact sheet and information about seizure diaries here.

Your kind and valued support enables us to reach out and help more people and families living with epilepsy.

Epilepsy Queensland's support groups and meet-ups provide an opportunity for people to connect. They are currently operating via online videoconferencing platform, Zoom.

We need you! Challenge yourself and become our event champion.

Epilepsy is a complex and multi-faceted condition and it is normal and expected that people have a range of questions.