Purple Day for Epilepsy (Blog Hop and Giveaway)

Hello, everyone! Today I'm joining my friend Fikreta in a blog hop for Purple Day in support of epilepsy awareness. Each participant in the hop has made a card featuring purple.  Fikreta is generously offering a giveaway, and so are many of the other blogs on the hop, including me!  Please hop around and leave a comment on each blog to be entered in the giveaway draw.  Details about my giveaway are below.

For my Purple Day card, I made a spring scene.  I coloured a cute cat image called Francoise from the Les Chats digi set by Vera Lane Studios. I won this set of four cats last fall (thank you, Carole!), and you can see the first card I made here.  This type of image is fun to colour because you can make the cat any colour you want.  I went with purple!  I also added some doodling.

Digital image:  Vera Lane Studios - Les Chats digi set (Francoise)
Clear stamps:  Sentiment (Momenta), grass (free with magazine)
Ink:  Peeled Paint Distress Oxide, Versamark
Die:  Avery Elle Scalloped Banner Set
Embossing folder:  Cuttlebug Simple Flowers
Other:  Ranger white embossing powder, purple polka-dot washi tape, Sharpie pen and Posca white paint marker for doodling, tiny flower gems

Purple Day

Purple Day is a global grassroots event formed with the intention to increase worldwide awareness of epilepsy, and to dispel common myths and fears of this neurological disorder. Further intentions of this movement are to reduce the social stigmas commonly endured by many individuals afflicted with the condition; to provide assurance and advocacy to those living with epilepsy that they are not alone in their ongoing endurance; and to initiate individuals living with the condition to take action in their communities to achieve these aims. The day occurs annually on March 26.  

Supporters are encouraged to wear a purple-coloured item of clothing. Lavender (and thus its color purple) is strongly associated with epilepsy because it has even been proven to act as a central nervous system relaxant and anticonvulsant.

Formation and History
The concept of Purple Day was initiated by a 9-year-old named Cassidy Megan, and was motivated by her own struggle with epilepsy. The Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia helped to develop Cassidy's idea, and the first Purple Day event was held on March 26, 2008, and is now known as the Purple Day for Epilepsy campaign.

What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder of the central nervous system, specifically of the brain. It is characterized by the tendency to have recurrent seizures.

A person would be diagnosed with epilepsy if they have at least two unprovoked (or reflex) seizures, or one unprovoked (or reflex) seizure and are very likely to have another, or diagnosed with an epilepsy syndrome.

Epilepsy Myths

Myth 1: You convulse (shake and jerk) when you have epilepsy.
Fact 1:  Not every seizure means a person jerks convulsively, nor is a person always unconscious during a seizure. Convulsions while unconscious are usually associated with tonic clonic seizures. There are a range of seizures which have different side effects and can affect people differently. 

Myth 2: Flashing lights cause seizures in everyone with epilepsy.
Fact 2:  Around 1 in 100 people has epilepsy, and of these people, around 3% have photosensitive epilepsy. Photosensitive epilepsy is more common in children and young people (up to 5%) and is less commonly diagnosed after the age of 20. Triggers differ from person to person, but common triggers include a lack of sleep, stress, and alcohol.

Myth 3: You can restrain someone during a convulsive seizure and put your finger in their mouth.
Fact 3:  During a convulsive seizure you should never hold the person down or put anything in their mouth. It's important to know exactly what to do when someone has a tonic clonic seizure so that you can act quickly. Here are 10 first aid steps for someone who has a convulsive seizure.

Myth 4: Epilepsy is rare.
Fact 4:  Epilepsy is anything but rare, over 500,000 people in the UK have epilepsy. That’s about one in every 100 people. There are also around 60 million people with epilepsy in the world. Anyone can develop epilepsy, it happens in all ages, races and social classes.

Myth 5: The only side effects of a seizure are tiredness and being confused.
Fact 5:   Having epilepsy can affect people in different ways. Knowing that a person ‘has epilepsy’ does not tell you very much about what happens for them or how epilepsy affects them. For example, some people may have problems with sleep or memory and for some people epilepsy may affect their mental health.

Edited to add:  I was asked in the comments about the recovery position mentioned in the graphic above.  Please see here for detailed instructions and photos.  Thank you for asking such a great question, Bunny!

Blog Hop

Sandie

Ike

Fit Kitty (you are here)

Annabel

Darnell

Janis

Olga

Vicki

Fikreta (Host)

Giveaway (Closed)

I will be giving away Stitched Sky Die Set by Gina Marie Designs (not sponsored).

To be eligible to win my giveaway:

1. Please leave a comment below and include the word Purple.
2. Comment on all blogs in the hop by Sunday, March 31, 2019, 8 p.m. Atlantic. 
3. You must be a Follower of my blog.
4. Open worldwide.  Winner to be announced here on Monday, April 1.

Challenges

I would also like to support the following challenges: Cardz TV AG 3/3; Crafting by Designs Blooming Flowers 2/3; Crafty Friends Use Spring Colours 2/3; Creative Moments AG No Twist 3/3; DL.ART March Linky UE 1/d; Jo's Scrap Shack AG 3/3; Lil Patch of Crafty Friends AG 3/3; Papercraft Business AG Optional Animals 3/3; Penny's Paper-Crafty AG 3/3; SUYP Cats Only AG UE; Unicorn Challenge Spring 2/3; Word Art Wednesday AG w Uplifting Sentiment 3/5 wk2

Thank you for hopping with us!  Wishing you a joyful day!