Luke Quinlivan & Riley Elson - Epilepsy Australia

Purple Day 2012 – young heroes from the lead library the way
Following in Cassidy’s
footsteps...
Cassidy Megan started Purple Day
in 2008 because she wanted to tell
everyone about epilepsy, especially
that all seizures are not the same
and that people with epilepsy are
ordinary people just like everyone
else.
She also wanted kids with epilepsy
to know that they are not alone.
Now in its 4th year, Purple Day
has become a global event, raising
awareness of epilepsy in 64
countries over seven continents
(yes, even in Ross Island,
Antarctica!)
Cassidy’s dream proves the ‘power
of one’, and our young Purple Day
Heroes, across the country, have
shown us how each and every one
of them have made a difference.
Riley Elson
Western Australia
Being diagnosed with epilepsy on your
10th birthday isn’t the best birthday
present, but Riley took it in his stride.
Taking up the challenge to be a Purple
Day Hero, Riley, 11, began speaking
out that it’s OK to have epilepsy and
his message soon caught the attention
of local media with interviews on TV
and newspaper. With the support of his
family, community and school, Riley
became Epilepsy Australia’s highest
fundraiser, raising $5815.10. As a thank
you, a meeting and photo shoot with
Luke Quinlivan, Australian water polo
goalkeeper and epilepsy spokesperson,
was arranged for the ILAE Stand Up For
Epilepsy photographic exhibition Excited
to meet his hero, Luke surprised Riley by
giving him his Australian team jacket!
Mackenzie Beames
Queensland
Growing up in the small mining town of
Tieri, Central Queensland, Mackenzie,
12, is passionate about sport. A ‘mad
keen’ footballer, she plays touch football,
and is a Brisbane Broncos fanatic. Being
diagnosed with epilepsy in 2010, hasn’t
stopped Mackenzie from pursuing her
love of sport nor does she see epilepsy
as a barrier to sporting achievement or
her future dreams. Embracing Purple
Day, Mackenzie, with support from her
home town and her school community,
was the highest fundraiser for Epilepsy
Queensland, raising the outstanding
amount of $13,400. A surprise meeting
with her hero, the ‘King’, Wally
Lewis, was arranged, with photos also
submitted to the ILAE Stand Up For
Epilepsy photographic exhibition.
celebrating around the country . . .
Makayla and Blake Fittler
New South Wales
Wanting to raise funds for epilepsy
research so their one-year-old sister,
Katie, could be ‘fixed’, Makayla, 7,
and Blake, 5, joined our band of Purple
Day Heroes and set a fundraising target
of $500 for Epilepsy Australia. Both
Makayla and Katie have an inherited
form of epilepsy from their father, Scott,
and while Makayla has been seizurefree
for the last three years, little Katie,
hasn’t been so lucky with her seizures
proving more difficult to control.
Living in Lithgow NSW, Makalya and
Blake were interviewed for their local
newspaper about their wish for Katie,
and, with support from mum, Julie,
their school, and their local community,
exceeded their wildest dreams raising
the amazing sum of $1661.40.
Chris Buttner and Lachlan
Bischof-Foster, Victoria
Helping students and teachers better
understand epilepsy and seizures,
Chris, 10, and Lachlan, 13, speak out
about their experience with epilepsy in
the Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria’s
Epilepsy Smart Schools training DVD.
In talking about their individual type
of epilepsy and the way they manage it,
and their desire to treated the same as
other kids, the boys reveal a confidence
and maturity beyond their years. EFV,
with corporate partner Melbourne
Storm Rugby League Club, launched
Purple Day at the Storm vs Roosters
NRL match at AAMI Stadium. These
inspirational lads had the unforgettable
experience of running through the
banner with Captain Cameron Smith,
and onto the ground in front of a
crowd of 12,000, as well as momento
photos taken with Frank Barrett, GM
Communications and the team.
Meg Logan
New South Wales
Meg, 11, first learned about Purple
Day from our TV advert last year and
researched it on the internet. Inspired
by Cassidy, Meg decided that she, too,
could make a difference. With the
support of her school, Hunter School
of Performing Arts in Newcastle, Meg
organised a Purple Day fundraiser to sell
the dozens of purple cupcakes and stress
balls she made with the help of her mum.
Meg was excited to raise $102.70 for
Epilepsy Australia, but what made her
happier was another student, who was
embarrassed about having epilepsy and
had kept it a secret, joined in and helped
her, asking people to support them both.
As Meg said “he wasn’t embarrassed any
more.” Meg loves dancing and does not
let epilepsy stand in her way, recently
participating in Star Struck, where 3000
public school children performed at the
Newcastle Entertainment Centre.
Pembroke Public School, Victoria; Purple Picnic in Marshmallow Park with Trigger the Tiger, The Epilepsy Centre mascot, South Australia.
Purple Procession, South Bank Brisbane with Wally Lewis fronting Channel 9’s live news broadcast, Queensland; Kilmartin’s Pharmacy staff, Seymour, Victoria.
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