Epilepsy, a serious neurological disorder, can affect anyone at any stage of life. However, it is more common in younger children and those over 65. Epilepsy can cause seizures. These seizures can be brief, severe, and even permanent. A seizure is a sudden, severe surge in electrical activity that affects a part or all of your brain. Epilepsy is a condition in which a person experiences two or more unprovoked seizures. More than 3 million Americans and 50 million worldwide suffer from epilepsy. Many people don’t recognize the symptoms of seizures.
Sometimes the symptoms are mistakenly misinterpreted as alcoholic/drug-induced intoxication. Some epilepsy symptoms are so confusing that law enforcement officers may misinterpret them as alcoholic or drug-induced intoxication.
Police in Oakland County, Mich. didn’t find a medical bracelet that Daniel Belongea was wearing and so tasered Belongea and arrested him for disorderly behavior. Federico Becerra, Jr., was killed in Nashville, Tenn., when emergency personnel tried to physically subdue the movements.
The Epilepsy Foundation, an international non-profit organization, has expanded its reach to help prevent these terrible mistakes. “First Responders Training”This program. This program aims to train emergency medical response and law enforcement personnel on how to properly respond to seizures.
Call the Epilepsy Foundation at 800-332-1000 for more information or to check if there is training available in your area. www.epilepsyfoundation.org.
