An Okotoks resident is urging the community to throw on something purple on March 26 and join a global campaign to raise awareness about epilepsy.
This Saturday marks the third annual Purple Day, a worldwide effort to get people talking about epilepsy, to dispel myths surrounding the condition and to help show those who battle epilepsy there is hope.
Kim Karran, who was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 15, is urging Okotokians to take part and help better understand the daily struggles epilepsy sufferers endure.
When she had her first seizure, Karran said she lost all her memory.
“I just woke up one morning and I had no idea who my family was,” she explained. “It was all of a sudden a loss of everything.”
Her family called their doctor who told them to go straight to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, where she stayed for two months.
To this day, doctors still don’t know the cause of Karran’s seizures or her memory loss.
“It might have been from a fall down the stairs, or from all the gymnastics I had done as a child, or from skiing,” she said. “Something must have hit hard.”
After memory therapy, Karran’s long-term memory eventually did return but she still has problems with short-term memory loss.
“It’s very difficult because I can’t drive. I lost all my friends because I didn’t know who they were and they were scared of me at the time,” she explained. “I actually dropped out of high school, which was not the smart thing to do.”
Karran hasn’t been able to find a permanent job, as many employers are hesitant to hire her due to the liability risk.
“If I overwork myself, I will have a seizure so I have to be careful,” she explained. “If I’m working near hot things or sharp objects, and I had a seizure and fell over, it could really hurt me.”
In 2007, Karran underwent surgery to have the Vagus Nerve Stimulator installed in her chest, which helps to prevent seizures.
The experimental procedure involves implanting a flat, round battery, about the size of a U.S. silver dollar, which sends regular, mild pulses of electrical energy to the brain via the vagus nerve.
She also wears a bracelet with a magnet she can run across her chest to help prevent a seizure from happening if she feels one coming on.
Karran, who was previously suffering from 16 to 20 grand mal seizures a month, said the procedure helped her tremendously. She now has about five to nine grand mal seizures every month.
“It has actually cut my seizures in half,” she said. “It’s such a help.”
A grand mal seizure is characterized by unconsciousness and convulsions that typically involve all parts of the body.
Karran said her goal for Purple Day is to help people better understand epilepsy and to not fear the condition.
“When I have a seizure in public, people get really scared because my face will turn blue sometimes and it will look like I’m dead,” she said.
Karran said the best way to react is to just relax, turn her on her side so she doesn’t aspirate, and wait a couple of minutes until she stop seizing. If the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, you should call an ambulance.
Once a bystander tried to give her CPR, which isn’t necessary, and ended up breaking her ribs, she said.
“I thanked him, but it was one of the worst things to do,” she said.
As part of the Purple Day, Karran is also raising funds for epilepsy research. She has a purple donation can at the Mac’s Convenience Store in Okotoks where people can contribute to the fundraising effort.
Last November, she also shaved her head to raise funds and awareness of epilepsy and she managed to raise $2,800 through contributions from local businesses.
All funds go to the Epilepsy Association of Canada. For more information about Purple Day, visit www.purpleday.org
