THE HIBBERT ASSEMBLY

EPILEPSY

Show children the medic-alert, or SOS, bracelet that some people who have medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or epilepsy wear.

Explain that it is worn, just like a wrist-watch, by some people who have particular medical conditions.

Perhaps they know someone who has one of these. Tell them that epilepsy is just such a condition.

Tell the children that when people have epilepsy they can have a seizure. This means that for a few moments they "blank out".Sometimes, too, they may fall down.

They wear the bracelet so that if this happens people will understand what has caused this and will know how to help them. The bracelet also contains a message to tell doctors what medicines they are taking.

Tell them that epilepsy is quite common and that many famous people have had this condition. A great Roman leader who lived 2000 years ago, called Julius Caesar, had epilepsy. St.Paul had some kind of medical problem and this may have been epilepsy.

These days there are medicines people can take to cut down the number of seizures they have. But we do not yet know enough about how to cure it completely.

People with epilepsy are just ordinary people like everyone else. Just like other people they like having fun and playing with their friends. But sometimes, like other people with different medical conditions, they need a little more kindness and love and care than other people. And we must be sure always to be ready to give these to them.