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Your donation will break the chains that lock up thousands of people suffering from epilepsy in Zimbabwe today
Epilepsy Support Foundation
April 20, 2011

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Can you imagine the uncertainty of never knowing when you may have a black out? Or how restricted you'd feel having a person standing by you, permanently looking over your shoulder as you reach for a cane of beans in the supermarket . . . following you on to a bus . . . monitoring you by the stove as you cook. Already I feel the exhilarating freedom that would come from being freed to breathe on my own! Only treatment and education can do this.

But monitoring is a way of life for thousands of people who suffer from epileptic seizures. With your help these chains of overprotection can be broken and many people could live normal lives.

People who suffer epilepsy live with persistent uncertainty. They fear waking up at any moment, day or night, to find they've had another seizure of which they were totally unaware . . . but which everyone else seems to know about. Their self confidence is almost nil. But with medication many people see a dramatic reduction in the number of seizures they suffer.

Simon, (we have his real name on our files), was handed out of a truck as a ten year old infant, and dropped on the ground. He suffered head, arm and leg injuries. It was this that later caused his epilepsy. Because of his seizures, his family took him out of school. Through ignorance, they unnecessarily disrupted his life and he has little confidence in himself.

HE IS A PERFECTLY NORMAL PERSON JUST LIKE YOU AND ME. But sometimes, he feels "like someone's turned off the electricity". He slumps to the ground in total blackout. It can take him hours to feel back to normal afterwards. With medication he could have completed his education. Through his discovery by the Epilepsy Support Foundation his family now understand the need for regular medication and he experiences far more freedom. Now at 19 he's going to start skills training.

Educating people about epilepsy will dispel the fear of it. We need your help to break the chains caused by ignorance.

Your contribution, no matter how small, will be used to bring light to the fearful, uncertain world of people who suffer. And to their families. To their teachers, and their friends. In our country many people don't know that epilepsy can be controlled with drugs. They fear it. It's seen as being caused by demons. Sufferers get poor advice from people who are ignorant about epilepsy and often do more harm than good.

With your help we can provide anti-epilepsy drugs, establish support groups, produce leaflets, and teach rural medical workers, nurses and teachers. We dispel myth, present the real facts and teach people how to cope in the presence of a person suffering a seizure.

Do you know how to cope? Do you know that you can't swallow your tongue? I enclose a first aid leaflet which may surprise you. Please feel free to copy it and hand it to your workers and friends. We can all do with a new look at epilepsy.

Your condition to the Epilepsy Support Foundation will bring so much freedom: for the first time an adult may smell the mustiness of chalk or a blackboard. A young man may excitedly wobble away from home on bicycle. People with amazement can venture out to touch life alone.

We get very little government aid and rely on people like you for our funding. Please help us by making out a cash payment at our Centre, making a bank transfer, deposit or cheque right now and sending it to us in the reply paid envelope or by email today. (Our Bank details: Standard Chartered Bank Avondale Branch Acc. No. 8700208568800 Acc. Name Epilepsy Support Foundation

Your donations will break chains of fear, stigma and confinement. How wonderful!

P.S. There are a number of known triggers for the onset of epilepsy like birth trauma, head damage, cerebral malaria etc. But many people have no idea why they suddenly begin to suffer from epilepsy. It could be you or me. Aren't we fortunate its not. Thank you for your donation. Many, many disadvantaged people with epilepsy will benefit. Your donation in kind could be medicines, clothing, food, furniture, merchandise etc.

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