Category Archive

Seizures in Youth & Adults

Absence seizures: what they look like and how to react

February 11, 2016

By Deron Hamel The scene is a play rehearsal. Two high-school students, a boy and a girl, are practising their parts. Suddenly, the girl pauses. She stares blankly, appearing lost in her thoughts. Several seconds pass. She then she resumes speaking, as though nothing has happened. One of the students asks another if a teacher…

Cannabidiol the Voices of Epilepsy’s hottest topic of 2015

December 10, 2015

By Deron Hamel Epilepsy Ontario’s weekly column, the Voices of Epilepsy, saw strong readership in 2015, and of all the issues covered this year one received more buzz on the organization’s social-media platforms than any other: cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is a substance derived from the marijuana plant. It is the most abundant, non-psychoactive chemical compound…

Scholarship winner began advocating for epilepsy awareness shortly after diagnosis

July 16, 2015

By Deron Hamel It wasn’t long after Sarah Hysenaj had her first seizure that she became an epilepsy awareness advocate. Sarah was 11 years old and on a school field trip when she had her first seizure in front of her classmates. Fortunately for Sarah, her teacher knew exactly what was happening and what to…