November 1st marks Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) Awareness Day, which is dedicated to patients living with this severe epilepsy syndrome. The LGS Foundation has organized this day to celebrate the resiliency of LGS patients, and they invite people from all across the world to observe this special day.
About LGS
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a rare and severe form of epilepsy that accounts for five percent of childhood epilepsy cases. Symptoms tend to appear between the ages of two and six, with repetitive, frequent seizures being the major effect. Patients may experience absence, atonic, or tonic seizures, in addition to behavioral issues, learning and developmental delays, and injuries from falls.
Medical professionals are not always sure of the cause of LGS, but it is identifiable in some cases. Possible causes include premature birth, lack of oxygen at birth, low birth weight, severe brain infections, severe brain injury during birth or pregnancy, and issues with brain development during pregnancy. In terms of treatment, doctors will utilize anti-seizure medications, surgery to place a nerve stimulator, special diets, and corpus callosotomy surgery in severe cases.
How to Celebrate the Day
Thousands of people are joining together to celebrate LGS Awareness Day, which is being set off by a Lifetime TV show featuring the LGS Foundation’s executive director and her daughter. Titled The Balancing Act, this episode will follow Dr. Tracy Dixon-Salazar and her daughter, who is also an LGS patient. Other affected individuals are invited to share their stories across social media as well.
Another way to get involved is to organize fundraising or awareness activities, which you can learn more about here. One of the major awareness activities is Illuminating for LGS, which will see famous buildings and monuments light up in green and purple to raise awareness for this rare disease. A few examples are Niagra Falls, the Las Vegas City Hall, and M&T Stadium.
Join the LGS Foundation to raise awareness and celebrate patients on November 1st!
