Thank you!
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has taken part in Purple Day in any way – all the support builds up to something big and impactful, and we couldn’t do it without all of you.
It’s great to have a day when we can all really rally to help bring epilepsy out of the shadows and help more people understand this lifechanging condition. But don’t forget – we’re here for you the other 364 days too – ready to offer support, and work to make epilepsy visible and make life for people with epilepsy a little bit lighter.
Fundraising stories – Nicola’s family
Nicola Harris and her family have been taking part in all sorts of fundraising activities this Purple Day. Nicola’s husband, James, and daughter, Grace (13) , both have epilepsy. Since the 1st of March, the family, alongside friends, have walked 26 miles in 26 days, whilst sharing facts and parts of their story every day.
Today, they all wore purple to walk the final mile together. They also held a cake sale, her husband’s work dressed in purple and a friend taught two karate lessons dedicated to epilepsy awareness. Nicola’s daughter’s school wore purple and Grace did a presentation to the school, taking questions at the end.
So far, they have raised £474 for Epilepsy Action 💜
Want to share your fundraising story? Email press@epilepsy.org.uk
Helen’s story – one thing I wish people knew about epilepsy
Helen, one of our volunteer vloggers, shares one thing she wishes people knew about epilepsy.
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Epilepsy Action’s bake-sale 2025!
Epilepsy Action staff have been taking part in the Purple Day festivities too. Down at the main office in Leeds, there’s been a competitive bake sale, with lots of yummy treats… Check out some of the amazing cakes!
Lennon’s story – “The charity helped me to see that I am not alone”
Jessica Salmon, from Liverpool, has taken on a 10km walk for this year’s Purple Day, inspired by her young son’s battle with epilepsy. The walk took place in Sefton Park on Saturday, and Jessica was joined by family, friends and people herself and son Lennon met during his hospital stays. Jessica tells her family’s story below:
“Lennon had his first seizure at six months old. It was petrifying to see him in that state. Still to this day when he is seizing, my heart breaks knowing there is nothing I can do to take it away from him. We took him to hospital after his first few seizures, but epilepsy wasn’t mentioned at this stage.
“Over the past year, Lennon has been in status epilepticus three times, three induced comas, stayed in intensive care and had two allergic reactions to medications. Seeing Lennon in these states can only be described as soul-crushing. Seeing my 10-month-old baby boy lay there lifeless, with tubes everywhere… I can’t put that feeling into words. It has been horrific.
“We’re still very new to epilepsy and that is why the Epilepsy Action website has been so helpful. New things are presenting in Lennon’s epilepsy all the time and this is another reason Epilepsy Action’s resources have been so helpful. The charity has also helped me to see that I am not alone, and it has inspired me to show as many families in my position as possible that they are not alone either.
“This is why I want to give back to Epilepsy Action and raise awareness of the condition. I am so thankful for everyone who joined us for our 10k walk, including Lennon’s family and friends, as well as a few people who Lennon met whilst in hospital. The sun was shining and we even fed some geese at the end – it was a magical day from start to finish. Thank you for all the support we have received through Lennon’s journey, and I can’t wait to do some more fundraising in the future for such an amazing cause.”
All on The Board
Today is International Epilepsy Day. Sending love and support to everybody in the world with this condition.#InternationalEpilepsyDay #Epilepsy #EpilepsyDay #allontheboard pic.twitter.com/VcXVAElBSj
— All On The Board (@allontheboard) March 26, 2025
Today is International Epilepsy Day. Sending love and support to everybody in the world with this condition.#InternationalEpilepsyDay #Epilepsy #EpilepsyDay #allontheboard pic.twitter.com/VcXVAElBSj
— All On The Board (@allontheboard) March 26, 2025
Founder of Purple Day Cassidy Megan has a message for you!
Head to our socials to see all of our fun content from today, including a video from Purple Day founder Cassidy Megan herself. Make sure to watch our stories so you don’t miss out!
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Rima Ahmed speaks to Epilepsy Action this Purple Day
This morning, Epilepsy Action’s Director of Communications, Jon Eaton, spoke to Rima Ahmed about all things Purple Day. Jon appeared on the BBC Radio Leeds Breakfast show, highlighting the importance of Purple Day as well as exploring seizure first-aid, common misconceptions, epilepsy-related deaths and much more.
You can listen in from 1hour 48 mins 20secs.
Rima Ahmed – 26/03/2025 – BBC Sounds
For Sarah
The Metro is publishing a series of articles to share different aspects around epilepsy throughout March in memory of a member of the team, Sarah Whiteley, who died of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
The series features several articles published over the month, starting with seizure first aid. It has been put together with the support of epilepsy charities including Epilepsy Action, and that of our story champions who have shared more about their lives with epilepsy. Read more here:
- Seizure first aid
- Katie’s story on life with focal seizures
- Hayley’s story on fighting for epilepsy acceptance
- Jake Lambert on managing epilepsy and the busy life of comedian
Laura and Martha – “This year, we are doing a five mile walk to raise money for Epilepsy Action on Purple Day.”
Laura and Martha are marking Purple Day with a five mile walk in purple with friends and family, and a non uniform day at school to raise vital funds and awareness for epilepsy.
Martha (pictured with dog Chip) was just 15 months old when she had her first seizure. Her mum, Laura, had to resuscitate her on their kitchen floor. The family was told this was probably a febrile convulsion, which can happen when if a child has a high temperature and is common in young children. The same thing was said for the next couple of seizures that followed. It wasn’t until around two years later, that Martha was officially diagnosed with generalised genetic epilepsy. The family have been through an incredibly challenging time but Martha is currently doing really well. This year, the family have decided to raise money for Epilepsy Action on Purple Day. Laura tells their story below:
“Martha, and our family, have been on a really tough journey with her epilepsy. She has both absence and tonic-clonic seizures. After her diagnosis, Martha had to try many different medications and was even on four different kinds at one point. It took some time, but we do now have a medication that works for her and her epilepsy is generally well managed.
“However, as a result of her brain being deprived of oxygen, Martha does have some learning difficulties. She is a bit behind in her education, but she is still such a friendly, well-liked girl. Everyone at school knows who she is.
“As a parent, watching your child having a seizure is awful and makes you feel helpless. And then there’s another side, because of her learning difficulties, which means she has to miss out on some things at school where there is a lot of people such as shows or assemblies.
“Despite all of this, Martha is a loving, social little butterfly who loves to play and has lots of friends.
“This year, we are doing a 5 mile walk to raise money for Epilepsy Action on Purple Day. We’ve asked friends, family and four-legged friends to come together for the walk and wear something purple! Myself and Martha’s dad, Sean will be there, as well as Martha’s two sister, Iona and Isla. It’s going to be a fun day for everyone.
“Martha’s school is also having a non-uniform day, where the children are encouraged to wear purple. They are also donating half of the money raised for comic relief to Epilepsy Action, which is super kind of them.
“We chose to fundraise for Epilepsy Action this Purple Day because we want to raise awareness about epilepsy.”
Stacey and Ava – “There’s never a day where I don’t feel nervous or wonder if she’s safe”
Ava and Stacey are hosting a wide range of events in their local area for Purple Day 2025. Last year, they raised over £1,700 for Epilepsy Action and they’re back ready to do it again.
Ava’s dance class has turned purple, as well as her primary school. Her mum Stacey is holding a bake sale after school which includes a ‘guess the weight of the cake’. In the evening, Stacey is hosting a bingo and raffle night in the local village, with lots of prizes donated by local businesses.
Stacey said: “We have chosen to support Purple Day again this year as myself and Ava think it’s important to spread awareness about epilepsy. There are so many different types of epilepsy, and not all seizures look the same. Recognising the different seizure types helps with early intervention, which is something myself and Ava really want to highlight this Purple Day.
“Ava was just 16 months old when she was diagnosed with epilepsy. She had her first drop seizure just three days before Christmas 2017.
“Now aged eight, Ava’s courage, resilience and unbreakable spirit is inspirational. She has become such a strong self-advocate, explaining her condition to friends, classmates, and even teachers. She breaks stigmas and promotes understanding every day, without even realising it.
“She has now learnt to live with her epilepsy, how to balance her medical needs and daily life. She refuses to let her epilepsy stop her from pursing her passions, whether it’s excelling in school, or engaging in sports and her hobbies.
“There’s never a day where I don’t feel nervous or wonder if she’s safe when I’m not there. There’s that feeling of guilt if I don’t catch her when she falls, and the feeling in the pit of my stomach if her school calls. As a parent, you know your pain will never compare to what they’re going through, but you are there with them every step of the way and I am so proud to call Ava my daughter.”
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Happy Purple Day!
We’re marking epilepsy awareness day with activities around our office and sharing all of the amazing stories and invaluable fundraising efforts from our supporters. Thank you for helping us to be there for people with epilepsy when they need us and for helping make epilepsy visible.