My name is Susan I live in Fort Myers, Florida but grew up on the South Side of Chicago and lived in Darien for over 10 years. I formed and founded a children's charitable organization called The Epilepsy Warriors Foundation www.epilepsywarriors.org it’s for children and those families living with Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders.

This month November is Epilepsy Awareness Month and we are spreading Awareness and Raising Awareness for Epilepsy in not only my hometown but all over the world. Our foundation is registered in Florida, Illinois and Texas. We are currently working on a project in Chicago as I have partnered up to work with Northwestern and University of Chicago Comer Childrens Hospital to help those living with epilepsy on the south side of Chicago, particularly the South Side.

By allowing me to share my story with all the Patch readers we will be able to make the local communities aware that we exist and that we are working on getting an Epilepsy Resource Center put in on the South Side of Chicago.

As my website Bio states as President and Founder of the Epilepsy Warriors I am striving to reach as many people within the local communities to help educate and bring an end to the stigma of Epilepsy. It takes team work. It involves supporting each other in all efforts. It means showing the world that Epilepsy is worth researching, fighting for, and funding. We are all fighting for a CURE for our children and those “Living with Epilepsy” every day. We are a new foundation one with a passionate vision. This vision will light our path, and guide us towards our goals of “enlightening, empowering and curing.”

I recently received a Proclamation from our local Governor Rick Scott here in Florida after reaching out to his office and asking him to declare November as Epilepsy Awareness Month and he did and I will be taping an interview on our local Fox Morning Blend Show on November 12th to talk about my Foundation along with one of the Doctors on my Board.

We are honored to be working with Dr. Michael Kohrman from University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital and to have him as Director and head of our Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Kohrman is working with me on the project of the resource center. I am a firm believer in giving back to the community from where you came from and since I grew up in Chicago and my Father was a Physician for almost 40 years at Ingalls Memorial in Harvey I feel strongly about reaching out to Chicago families.

Giving back to the Community is important to me both here in Florida where I reside and also in Chicago where I was raised as well as in Texas where I have been able to connect with some of the best in the Medical District of Houston.

Funds raised by our Foundation will go towards the following but also stay within the local communities. Any fundraising events or donations that are held in Florida stay in my local Community, for Chicago it will stay in the Chicagoland communities and the same in Texas so that the local communities are provided with what they need.

Epilepsy Resource Center: To build and or provide Epilepsy Resource Centers in the Florida, Chicago and Texas Markets.  Events activities that offer both support and help raise or spread awareness is what we as a foundation believe is beneficial to not only parents, caregivers and families but also the community. It is through a resource center that we can and hope to achieve a level of support and services offered to bring families and the community together.

Some of the most typical issues that would bring families or those with epilepsy to a resource center would include the following:

• Diagnosis of Seizures and Epilepsy
• Side effects of Epilepsy Medications
• School related issues including assistance with IEP’s and or 504 plans for children with special needs
• Social and behavioral issues

Transitional issues that our young people and teens often face with living with Epilepsy

Epilepsy Family Support Groups: Parenting Children with Special Needs is a local support group started in the Fort Myers, FL community through my church connection group. It is a great opportunity for other parents and caregivers to come together and share similar experiences but also find comfort support and strength in those that truly do understand what they face and go through each day.

It also provides a level of support so that one can raise healthy and happy children and show that yes our children may have epilepsy or a special need but that does not define who they are. The support group is facilitated by Susan Noble Founder and President of the Epilepsy Warriors Foundation we are currently looking to have someone  get a group started in the Houston and local Texas Communities to further ensure that there is support for those that need especially in the lower income areas that may not have access otherwise.

To assist families in all communities in need of a service dog, Assist families in getting the necessary helmets needed for their children that are required to have one.

College Scholarships: Our goal is to in the future on a yearly basis  award one  or more well deserving high school graduate with epilepsy entering College studying in Neurology and Neurosciences.

Research: Our future goals are to have our Medical Advisory Board actively review research proposals in order to award grants to Neuroscientists at Northwestern Memorial, University of IL Comer Children’ Lee Memorial, Baylor University, University of Texas, Texas Children’s, all the institutions that are making phenomenal strides in the research of epilepsy.

Epilepsy Lectures: Getting together Doctors and Neuroscientists to discuss the latest in technology in the area of Epilepsy.  Epilepsy Workshops: We will help plan and support informative, educational workshops for parents, caregivers, teachers, school nurses, the medical community and those touched by epilepsy focusing on epilepsy management, identifying seizure activity, the effects of seizures on learning and cognitive development, safety protocol,  seizure medications and the side effects.

With Gratitude,

Susan J. Noble
Founder/President
The Epilepsy Warriors Foundation
P.O. Box 07286
Fort Myers, FL 33908
239-233-2205
susan@epilepsywarriors.org
info@epilepsywarriors.org
www.epilepsywarriors.org