Issue: February 2014
 

Welcome to Epilepsy News brought to you by the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey. We pride ourselves in sending you the most up-to-date information about epilepsy events, conferences, and issues that are important to you.


Be sure to check this email, our website and thetrainingcalendar.org for information on rescheduled events.

  


You may also find an archive of past issues and additional information at www.efnj.com.
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National Walk for Epilepsy

 nat epilespy walk

 

Are you planning on attending the National Walk for Epilepsy on March 22, 2014 in Washington D.C.? If so, we invite you to join our Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey team "Jersey Strong!" This will be a great way for you to meet others from New Jersey! To register visit www.walkforepilepsy.org and join team "Jersey Strong!"

 

Thank you to Team Beans, Team Jack, and Steeles Support and all those with seizures for designating their money raised to EFNJ.

 

 

 

  

In This Issue
- National Walk for Epilepsy
- Tickets On Sale Now
- Muses in the Vineyard
- 2014 Epilepsy Scholarship Program
- Camp Opportunities
- FRN Marketplace
- "Medikidz Explain Epilepsy" Comic Book Now Available
- School Nurse Training Program
- Are You a Parent of a Child with Epilepsy
- Fever-Related Seizures in Kids Eased by Epilepsy Drug
- Striking a Nerve: Epilepsy Drug in Pregnancy
Epilepsy Foundation of NJ
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Tickets On Sale Now 

 

Join EFNJ for our 3rd Annual Paint the Pony Purple event held at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park. We will have entertainment, refreshments and definitely a lot of purple!

 

Featuring:

 

The Rock N Roll Chorus

 enjoy!

Laura Cheadle Family Band

Sofia Nicole

Chelsea Palermo

 

Sunday, March 30, 2014
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Stone Pony
Asbury Park, NJ

 

OPEN TO ALL AGES!
Tickets= $20 each

 

   
     

Newly added aution items include Broadway tickets to Bridges of Madison County and Newsies and tickets to New Jersey Devils game.

 

  
  
 
  
We are excited to be partnering with Candlelight Concerts for Epilepsy Awareness, Foul Rift Productions and Four Sisters Winery to promote a two-day festival benefiting the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey. Muses in the Vineyard is a festival of music, of the women, by the women and for EVERYONE.
  

When:
Saturday May 17th 1:00pm - 7:00pm (doors at noon)
Sunday May 18th 12:00pm - 6:00pm (doors at 11:00 a.m.)

 

Where:
Four Sisters Winery
783 County Route 519
Belvidere, NJ 07823

Tickets: Early Bird Pricing - $12.50 to $30.00

 

Performers

 

SaturdaySunday
Christine HavrillaRed Molly
Sarah Ayers BandAmy Speace
Trina HamlinDanielle Miraglia
Sarah BlackerMaura Kennedy
Regina SaylesJess Klein
Kathy MoserShawnee Kilgore
Camela WidadMara Levine
  
  

 
  
2014 Epilepsy Scholarship Program
  
The Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey is pleased to announce the existence of a scholarship program for New Jersey high school seniors who have epilepsy.  We anticipate offering at least three $1,000 scholarships.

 

New Jersey high school seniors with epilepsy who plan to attend a college or university are eligible.  Academic achievement, participation in activities and financial need will be considered.  The extent of a student's disability(s) will be taken into account as well, so that s/he need not be near the top of her/his class to qualify.  Final awards will be made by the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey, which reserves the right not to make any awards.

 

Click here to download the application.
 
Applications and supporting documents are due April 25, 2014.  Should you  have any questions, please contact Andrea Racioppi at the (800)336-5843 or by email at aracioppi@efnj.com
  
                   
Camp Opportunities
  
 

The Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey's camp schedule for 2014 is confirmed and preliminary planning is underway.  If you have not had the opportunity to join us for a Camp experience maybe 2014 will be the year for you.  Our Camp experiences start at age 8 and continue through adult life.  Camp activities vary from camp to camp, but include activities that are age appropriate, promote independence and provide opportunities for making friends.  Deadlines for Campership opportunities through the Division of Developmental Disabilities and the Department of Children and Families have been moved up for 2014 so we encourage you to apply early.

 

Super NOVA (Age 29 and Up)

March 14-16, 2014

September 19-21, 2014

YMCA Camp Ockanickon

1303 Stokes Rd.

Medford, NJ08055 (Burlington County)

 

Bounce Out the Stigma Basketball Camp (Age 8 - 21)

 

Ocean County

July 21-25, 2014

9:30-3:00pm

Toms River Intermediate South

1675 Pinewald Rd.

Beachwood, NJ 08722

 

Bergen County
August 11-15th

9:30-3:00pm

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

467 Grandview Ave.

Wyckoff, NJ 07481

 

Camp NOVA (Ages 12-18, 19-28)

August 3 - 9, 2014

Linwood McDonald

YMCA 1 Flatbrook Rd.

Sandyston, NJ 07826, NJ (Sussex County)

 

 

 

For additional information and/or to be placed on our mailing list please call Jenna Andolora at 800.336.5843.

          
  
  
                   
  
  
"Medikidz Explain Epilepsy" Comic Book Now Available
  
                   

Jack Dau of Sparta, NJ is gaining increasing media attention for educating youth about epilepsy through a comic book. Jack is featured as a super hero in the new "Medikidz Explain Epilepsy" comic book sponsored by Eisai. The goal of the comic book is to explain the cause and symptoms of epilepsy to kids in a way they can easily understand, including Jack's personal experience.

 

To date, Jack has been interviewed on News 12 NJ and featured in local newspapers such as the New Jersey Herald and Sparta Independent.

 

Let's all continue to support Jack and his journey in spreading epilepsy awareness!

 

to get your copy click here

 

 

  
  
Jack, front left, with his family at an epilepsy fundraiser at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park
  
  
School Nurse Training Program
  

The School Nurse Training Program is a continuing education training program designed to provide the school nurse with information, strategies and resources that will enable him/her to better manage the student with seizures by: supporting positive treatment outcomes, maximizing educational and developmental opportunities, as well as ensuring a safe and supportive environment. Each training is 3.5 hours long and FREE for all school nurses. Nurses will receive 3.2 continuing education units after completing the training.

 

Managing Students with Seizures

 

April 16, 2014

4-7pm

 

Dr. Megdad will be co-presenting

 

Centrastate Medical Center

Star and Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus

Conference Center Auditorium

901 W. Main Street Freehold, NJ 07728

 

Continuing Education Units available.

 

There will a $35.00 fee

 

Please fill out the attached registration form and submit the $35.00 fee to:

Student Health Awareness Center

901 West Main Street

Freehold, NJ 07728

  

  
  
                   
Are You a Parent of a Child with Epilepsy?

 

   

EFNJ is holding parent focus groups throughout the state. In these focus groups we will be gathering information on programs and services that are needed in NJ. We would love your input. If you are a NJ parent of a child with epilepsy age 21 or younger please contact Jenna Andolora at 800.336.5843 or jandolora@efnj.com with interest in attending. Registration is mandatory to attend. See below for dates and locations:

 

 

February 20, 2014

208 White Horse Pike, Suite 8

Barrington, NJ

6:30-8pm

 

March 12, 2013

322 US Highway 46 Suite 290

Parsippany, NJ

6:30-8pm

 

 

 

We will also be holding a Spanish speaking parent focus group as well. Dates and location will be provided at a later date.

 

 

 

  
Fever-Related Seizures in Kids Eased by Epilepsy Drug
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay Reporter
                   
THURSDAY, Feb. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Early treatment with antiepileptic drugs reduces the length of fever-related seizures in children, according to a new study.

 

Published Feb. 6 in the journal Epilepsia, the study also found that a standard emergency medical services treatment guideline for prolonged fever-related seizures is needed in the United States.

 

Most fever-related seizures, also called febrile seizures, are brief, but up to 10 percent can last more than 30 minutes. These prolonged seizures can put children at risk for short- and long-term complications, including developing epilepsy, according to a journal news release.

 

The new study included nearly 200 children, aged 1 month to 6 years, who had one seizure or a group of seizures that lasted more than 30 minutes. The researchers examined the connection between time to treatment and length of the seizure.

 

continue reading

 

 

  
Striking a Nerve: Epilepsy Drugs in Pregnancy
By John Gever, Deputy Managing Editor, MedPage Today    

 

   

It's becoming clearer that some anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are better than others during pregnancy, with valproate probably the biggest no-no.

 

But recent studies, including one published this week, haven't yet added up to an algorithm for deciding which one is best for a given patient. For now, the decision still comes down to the individual clinician's judgment and the patient's tolerance for risk to herself and her unborn child.

 

The newest study, appearing online in Neurology, compared neurodevelopmental outcomes at ages 3 to 4 in 44 children born to women who took valproate, 53 exposed in utero to levetiracetam (Keppra), and 131 whose mothers were not epileptic and did not take AEDs.

 

Not surprisingly, in light of past studies, children with fetal exposure to valproate in utero showed significant language and motor skill impairments relative to the no-AED control group, reported Rebekah Shallcross, PhD, of the University of Liverpool in England, and colleagues.

 

 continue reading