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Cascades Park Event Kicks Off Epilepsy Awareness Month

Tallahassee's Cascades Park was the site for a family fun event and awareness walk for the Epilepsy Association of the Big Bend Thursday (11/3) night.

A big part of the evening was simply educating people on how commonplace - and controllable - the condition is. Florida A&M University sophomore Daisha McGowen says her Epilepsy started appearing in middle school, although it wasn't properly diagnosed until years later.

"My 8th grade year I would just pass out from playing sports," McGowen remembered. "But in my 11th grade year one morning I was getting ready for school and woke up in a hospital bed."

Today, McGowan said a combination of medication and proper lifestyle keeps her seizure-free. The Epilepsy Association of the Big Bend's Mandy Bianchi said her group helps people who have Epilepsy and provides education for those who don't have Epilepsy.

"What we like to do at the Association is to teach people seizure first aid so they know what to do if somebody does have a seizure and it's to keep people safe and to make sure they're taken care of until they get proper medical care."

The Cascades Park event was the local kick off for Epilepsy Awareness Month.

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Tom Flanigan has been with WFSU News since 2006, focusing on covering local personalities, issues, and organizations. He began his broadcast career more than 30 years before that and covered news for several radio stations in Florida, Texas, and his home state of Maryland.

Find complete bio, contact info, and more stories. here.