SUDEP Action Day 2024
Wednesday, October 16th 2024
SUDEP Action Day is a special day which brings organizations and people together to raise awareness of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) and epilepsy deaths worldwide.
SUDEP Action Day is a special day which brings organizations and people together to raise awareness of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) and epilepsy deaths worldwide.
It occurs annually on the third Wednesday in October, this year will be on Wednesday, October 16th 2024.
Launched by SUDEP Action on 23 October 2014 (as SUDEP Awareness Day), it shines a light on the largest cause of death in people with epilepsy, helping empower people through increased awareness, research and taking action to reduce epilepsy and SUDEP risks.
Join us for SUDEP Action Day 2024 – it’s ##OurRisksOurRights
Not everyone with epilepsy is aware of or told about SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death In Epilepsy) and epilepsy risks, which can put them in danger of worsening seizures, injury or of dying prematurely. People with epilepsy & their families WANT to be told about SUDEP and epilepsy risks. Many bereaved families were NOT told about SUDEP & wish that this vital information had been shared as it might have saved their loved one’s life.
Because every person living with epilepsy has a right to be told about the risks that come with the condition – as well as a right to early diagnosis and access to information, medication and care.
Not everyone with epilepsy is aware of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death In Epilepsy) or epilepsy risks, which can put them in danger of worsening seizures, injury or of dying prematurely.
People with epilepsy and their families want to be told about SUDEP and epilepsy risks so they can take necessary actions to live more safely.
Risks Factors and Ways to Mitigate Risk
Far too many people are unaware of SUDEP, its risk factors, and ways to mitigate these risks.
Help us spread the word and initiate critical conversations about this awful consequence of epilepsy. Share these infographics with your friends and family by posting them on social media.
To learn more about SUDEP
SUDEP Webinars & Podcasts
CURE Epilepsy Webinar | Breathing and SUDEP: Research & the Influence of Seizures on the Respiratory System
Research suggests that respiratory dysfunction following generalized convulsive seizures is an important cause of SUDEP. Interruptions in breathing can occur during and after seizures leading to an imbalance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the body. The ability to restore normal breathing patterns and remove excess carbon dioxide may be weakened in some people with epilepsy, potentially increasing their risk of SUDEP.
Seizing Life Podcast: SUDEP: What To Know and What To Do
Featuring Epilepsy Canada’s Scientific Research Committee Chair, Dr. Elizabeth Donner, Staff Neurologist and Director for the Epilepsy Program at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Kids.
Dr. Elizabeth Donner provides an overview of SUDEP, including what we currently know about SUDEP, what are the risks and ways to mitigate risks associated with SUDEP, and what research is discovering that can help us find a cure for this devastating outcome of epilepsy.
CURE Epilepsy Webinar | SUDEP & The Heart: A Multi-System Approach to Understanding Electrical Disturbances
In this webinar, Dr. David Auerbach, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at SUNY Upstate Medical University, helped viewers learn how inherited neuronal or cardiac diseases may lead to electrical disturbances in both the brain and heart, how altered cardiac function may lead to SUDEP, and why it is critical for the epilepsy community to take a holistic approach to fully understand biological changes that ultimately cause SUDEP.
PAME WEBINAR | SUDEP Communication: Understanding the caregiver perspective and developing a SUDEP conversation guide
Dr. Lemmon is a child neurologist and communication researcher at Duke University. She will be sharing her team’s work exploring when and how caregivers prefer to hear information about their child’s risk for SUDEP. Dr. Lemmon will discuss resources that can help caregivers start a conversation about SUDEP with their health care provider, as well as ongoing work to help prepare clinicians to counsel about SUDEP risk.