“Purple Day” Epilepsy Awareness Day

One family shares their story of advocacy on Purple Day.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN)– Saturday is “Purple Day” an internationally recognized awareness day for epilepsy.

According to the Epilepsy Foundation of Nebraska, over 20,000 people live with epilepsy in the state.

One family here in Lincoln shared why they chose to advocate for awareness when their son was diagnosed.

The Perry family advocates with the Epilepsy Foundation of Nebraska on behalf of their son Max, who was diagnosed with the disease at the age of five.

Now twelve, Max had his first seizure at eighteen months, his mother Nikki Perry recounted the chilling experience.

“Max has his first seizure at 18 months when he was a baby it was a febrile seizure; he had an ear infection and spiked a fever and we took him to the ER, he turned blue I thought he was dying, it was terrifying…”

Since the experience, Perry has done everything to advocate and reduce the stigma. She even holds a position with the organization and educates locally on the disease, the forms it takes, and what to do if and when you see someone experiencing symptoms.

Spreading awareness is just the start for the Perry family, and their son Max.