The rain this past weekend did not deter over 70 members of the local epilepsy community from attending our event co-hosted by Epilepsy Foundation New England (EFNE) at the Museum of Science in Boston. After making their way to a private room on the third floor of the museum with views of the Charles River and Boston skyline, our guests settled in and began making new friends.
A brief welcome from Chanda Gunn, VP of Programs and Services at EFNE, was followed by Phil Haydon, President of Sail For Epilepsy. He told the audience a bit about the accident that caused his epilepsy, the struggles he faced before he gained medical control, and the success he’s had as a neuroscientist during his career.
Phil then kicked off an hour of nautical activities, which included knot tying, learning about nautical signal flags, flag making, and model boat building and racing. Kids and adults alike participated, with the activities able to be adapted to all ages and abilities. The excitement increased as the boat races began and lessons were learned about ways the power and direction of the wind can move a vessel.
After a snack break, those who wanted to participate formed teams and headed into the museum for a scavenger hunt. Some families went on their own to enjoy the museum together for the rest of the day. Teams returned to the 3rd floor for prizes in the categories of:
- Extra Step Award – overcoming obstacles to take steps towards improvement
- Good Shipmate Award – valuing teamwork, mutual respect, and taking care of your each other
- Hope Award – represents resilience courage, strength, and pride
Phil then introduced the One More Step Challenge and we welcomed 20 new Virtual Shipmates to our crew, who have decided to live fuller lives by doing things like taking evening classes with the goal of becoming a pharmacist, starting an online shop to become more independent, eating new foods, doing a black belt test, go sky diving, taking meds everyday even though they taste bad, and learning to play the bass guitar.
We enjoyed making new connections and getting caught up with old friends during this event. We continue to be inspired by the ways people with epilepsy overcome challenges and the support given to them by their loved ones.
Our thanks to the staff of EFNE, the team of community health workers, and the other volunteers who helped us put on this event – we couldn’t have done it without you!
