February 26, 2009

THIS ISSUE
The BC Epilepsy Society
Annual General Meeting

BC Easter Seals Camps
Raising Self-Esteem and Confidence

New Epilepsy Research
The Prevalence of Epilepsy in BC

The BC Epilepsy Society

Annual General Meeting
We're notifying all members and stakeholders about the upcoming Annual General Meeting of the BC Epilepsy Society taking place on Monday, March 23, at 6:30 pm in the Chan Auditorium at BC Children's Hospital.

After a brief business portion of the meeting that includes election of Board members, acceptance of the audit, appointment of auditors, and a motion regarding a new set of Society bylaws, we will have presentations from our two currently funded researchers, Dr. Jun Liu and Mr. Kirk Mulatz, with updates on their work to date.

Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the research presentations. There is no charge for current members of the Society. Memberships may be taken out prior to the start of the meeting. If you are unsure if you are a current member, please contact Shawn Laari at 604-875-6704 to confirm.

BC Easter Seals Camps

Raising Self-Esteem and Confidence

Once again, the BC Epilepsy Society will be working in collaboration with Easter Seal camps operated by the BC Lions Society. We will be providing travel subsidies to families who want to send their children to BC Easter Seals Camps. These provide free overnight summer camping experiences for children and teens with physical or mental disabilities. Camp locations are: Camp Shawnigan on Vancouver Island, Camp Squamish north of Vancouver, and Camp Winfield in the Okanagan Valley. The 2009 camp dates can be found at www.eastersealscamps.ca

Camp gives kids a chance to focus on the amazing things they can do, rather than the things they can’t. Campers will:

  • Learn to adjust to new environments, various social situations
  • Gain a greater sense of personal satisfaction, self-esteem, and leadership
  • Develop personal habits that lead to a healthy lifestyle
  • Discover and explore interests, values and talents
  • Participate on teams
  • Take responsibility for others and help out
  • Test skills in problem solving
  • Meet a new circle of peers who understand the ins and outs of life with a disability or medical condition
  • Create life-long friendships

If you are interested, please contact Shawn Laari at laari@bcepilepsy.com or by calling 604-875-6704. We suggest that families contact staff at the BC Lions Society at 604-873-1865 or toll free at 1-800-818-4483 by the first week of April to register.

New Epilepsy Research

The Prevalence of Epilepsy in BC
The Board of Directors and staff of the BC Epilepsy Society are proud to let you know that our first funded researcher, Dr. Veronica Schiariti, had her Society-funded population health research published last month in the January 2009 issue of The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.

Her article was titled, Period Prevalence of Epilepsy in Children in BC: A Population-Based Study. This research focussed on the prevalence of epileptic seizures and epilepsy in children and teens, and examined various factors influencing these rates. This comprehensive study included data from all BC residents from 0-19 years of age enrolled in the Medical Services Plan.

These research findings will help determine the need for health care and to plan service delivery. A copy of her publication can be found in the news section of our website at: www.bcepilepsy.com/news_and_events/news01080901.aspx 

Dr. Schiariti's research was co-funded dollar-for-dollar with the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.