By Julie L Hutchison | President, Co-Founder and Chelsea's Mother
On July 16, 2016, The Chelsea Hutchison Foundation, through our Chelsea's Wish program, awarded 6 families with trips to Epilepsy Awareness Day and Expo at Disneyland. Emfit Corp, a wonderful monitor company that we work with, is also sponsoring family through our Foundation. We continue to fundraise in hopes of awarding even more trips and/or at a minimum, admission to the event in November for those who do not need travel expenses.
These are not ordinary families - and this is no ordinary vacation! The profound impact this opportunity has on them is so much more than an all-expense paid vacation.
The Expo offers a wealth of information - exposure to professionals, treatment options, education and hope. They are able to come face to face with some of the top epileptologists, vendors and non-profits and learn of new treatments and assistance available. That alone is invaluable to these families - to have all of this available to them, in one place.
Attending this event, these families immediately get the sense that they are not alone - and that is so amazing to witness! Many times in their daily lives dealing with a child living with Epilepsy, there is such isolation and not only for the parents, but the kids as well. Our Disney families meet and instantly bond with the other families who understand the struggles, the fear and the endless search for answers. Only 20% of those diagnosed with epilepsy are controlled with medications. One in 26 will be diagnosed with epilepsy in their lifetime and it is estimated that up to 50,000 Americans die each year from seizures and seizure-related causes, as Chelsea did.
The camaraderie seems to develop instantly but unlike those instant friends of our youth, these friendships have proven to last long after they board their separate planes for home. These people are a community and they have an appreciation, commonality and empathy that comes from being in similar shoes. They are uplifted by the love and support of each other.
Three of our families are single parent homes - imagine that!! Dealing with this overwhelming monster of a condition - without a partner? We can't forget the siblings, but sadly, siblings often have to take a back-seat, making concessions in little and not so little ways. Siblings are often the forgotten ones, not by choice, but by necessity. That's why the trips through Chelsea's Wish include the whole family, not just Mom and Dad with their child living with Epilepsy.
Thank you for your help in funding these trips. We are so grateful. We aren't done yet for 2016. There is still time to award more families!
By Julie Hutchison | President, Co-Founder and Chelsea's Mother
By Julie Hutchison | President, Co-Founder and Chelsea's Mother
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