For the Media:

Epilepsy Foundation Announces Free Forum to Help Patients Maximize Care
Live event in Chicago with Real-time Online Presentation

Landover, Md., October 19, 2005 -- A free Epilepsy Empowerment Forum, hosted by the Epilepsy Foundation and sponsored by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, will take place on Saturday, October 29, from 10 a.m. until Noon (CST) at the Martin Recital Hall on the campus of Dominican University in River Forest. Persons unable to attend can dial in toll-free or join an online presentation.

"The goal of the forum is to help people with epilepsy and their loved ones improve communication with their health care team, and to get new information about epilepsy treatment options," said Garett Auriemma, interim president of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago.

A panel of healthcare professionals, including doctors from the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at Loyola University Medical Center and the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Central DuPage Hospital, will discuss with a live audience issues regarding treatment goals, quality of life and the roles and responsibilities of people with epilepsy in managing their healthcare. An audience question-and-answer period will follow the panel discussion.

To attend the Forum, contact the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago at (312) 939-8622. To participate by phone on the day of the Forum, call toll-free (877) 209-0397 or visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org.

One of the most common disorders of the nervous system, epilepsy affects people of all ages, races and ethnic backgrounds. More than 2.7 million Americans are living with epilepsy, including nearly 100,000 in the Chicago area alone. Every year, 200,000 Americans, develop seizures and epilepsy for the first time. The condition can develop at any time of life but especially in early childhood and old age.

This is the second Epilepsy Empowerment Forum hosted by the Epilepsy Foundation. The first was hosted by the Epilepsy Foundation of Arizona in the spring of 2005 at the Scottsdale campus of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org to learn more about both forums and the many aspects of epilepsy and seizure disorders.

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National Office

The Epilepsy Foundation, a national, charitable organization, founded in 1968, is dedicated to supporting children and adults affected by seizures through research, education, advocacy and service. The national office, located in the Metropolitan area of Washington, D.C., has nearly 60 affiliated Epilepsy Foundations providing local services throughout the nation.

Chicago Affiliate Office

Dedicated to the prevention, cure, control, and public understanding of epilepsy and seizure disorders, the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago is the only comprehensive social service organization serving people with epilepsy in metropolitan Chicago. Created in 1946 as a grassroots effort in Illinois to develop resources for people with epilepsy, the Foundation today serves over 125,000 individuals with epilepsy across 43 counties in northeastern and central Illinois. Now in its 60th year, the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago is the primary community resource for individuals with seizures seeking social services and vocational assistance.