SWAN Hill Primary School becomes a stronger shade of purple on March 26 each year, thanks to the efforts of Grade 4 student Sarah Hulland, whose brother Ryan suffers from a rare and serious form of childhood epilepsy.
Sarah’s ongoing efforts to support Ryan has seen her school’s recognition of Purple Day — an annual and worldwide event dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy — grow in leaps and bounds.
Sarah’s dedication helped see Swan Hill Primary School awash with shades of violet Purple Day, as scores of parents, students and teachers donated to the cause.
“Some people at school don’t know what epilepsy is or why we are dressed in purple,” Sarah said.
“But hopefully by the end of today they will.”
While the Grade 4 student said she hoped next year’s Purple Day would be even bigger, Sarah said the size and scope of the event wasn’t her primary concern.
“It just feels really good to be helping my brother Ryan,” she said.
Like many children with Dravet Syndrome, as Ryan gets older his IQ and mental capacity decline, and two years ago he was officially diagnosed as intellectually disabled.
Joanna Hulland, Ryan and Sarah’s mother, said her son’s seizures were ongoing.
“Some seizures are mild, where he will firstly hallucinate, then start screaming and slowly lose consciousness with a very mild shaking and jerking,” she said.
“Others are quite violent with no warning, where he’ll go flying backwards with a violent tonic-clonic seizure where Ryan ceases breathing for a minute or two.”
Ms Hulland said technology designed to assist people with epilepsy was already being financed by community donations, including a device that detects a person’s likelihood of having a seizure each day.
Ms Hulland said any research into treatment and cures for epilepsy were largely dependant on the public’s generosity and awareness of the condition.
“I just want people to be aware that epilepsy, like a lot of other mental illnesses, is fairly hidden,” she said.
“But it is a very large part of people’s live when they do have it.
“I’m very proud of Sarah in what she has achieved so far in spreading the word about epilepsy.”
To donate to Sarah’s fundraising cause, visit http://www.everydayhero.com.au/sarah_hulland
