My name is David and I’m president of an Association to raise awareness of Epilepsy “Si jo puc, tu també #epilep” (If I can, so can you). I was first diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 6, now I’m 49, but for many years I didn’t have any crises. For some time now, I am resistant to medication, meaning that it doesn’t have as much effect as it should, and I therefore have several crises per day. There was even a period when I was having upto 15 crises every day.
Despite having a cronic illness, I have always tried to maintain an active life. I studied, I was able to do a job I enjoyed (I managed to become the Head of Marketing for a sector of a multinational company), etc.
Nowadays, as my epilepsy is not under control, I’m not able to work, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t deal with the illness in a positive and optimistic way. I firmly believe that a positive attitude and state of mind greatly improves your everyday life, and that of those around you.
At the moment, I’m trying to raise awareness and improve understanding of epilepsy through the Association, through sports events, as, for many years, these kinds of sports were considered impossible for those with epilepsy. I also want to demonstrate that those of us with epilepsy can do many things. We should all follow our dreams, challenge ourselves in life.
“For a long time it was believed that people with epilepsy could not participate in sporting events”
Little by little the Association has been growing, and right now we have various projects underway, and others on hold until Covid-19 or finances permit. All of our activities are free.
- Weekly walks around Tarragona, which serve to raise awareness of epilepsy and be in contact with the local community. Social inclusion is fundamental for us, so you don’t need to be epileptic or a family member… we are open to everyone. This is how we can all learn from each other.
- We participate in races organised by other organisations. We have created an organisation called “Quilòmetres per l’epilèpsia”, which takes place on 24th May to celebrate Epilepsy Day. What we want is to raise awareness of epilepsy covering kilometres in every possible way (walking, running, swimming, dancing, etc). Last year we presented 525 participants, and covered 6,000km. (spanish version video)
- Fundraising for research : through donations for our sports kit items, and the registration fee for events we organise, we make donations for research.
- Iberoamerican Epilepsy Network: we are one of the founders of this network. It is designed to join together our efforts, knowledge and experience at an international level, with training courses etc.
- Training in schools: this project consists of presentations for both primary and secondary schools, to explain what epilepsy is, and for the pupils to be in contact with a person with the illness. Our goal is to get rid of stigmas and bullying in schools, aswell as to educate the teaching staff.
If you are intersted in collaborating with us, or if you have any questions, you can contact us on our social networks:
Web: https://sijopuctutambeepilep.godaddysites.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sijopuctutambe.epilep
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sijopuctutambe.epilep
Mail sijopuctutambe.epilep@gmail.com.
In summary, good habits (nutrition and exercise), a positive attitude and state of mind, and being active are of signifcant benefit for you to maintain a full life.
Many thanks.
David Sanahuja.
