Glenn Catalano

 

L: Raquel Miralles (left) with director Suzanne Bischoff (right). R: Suzanne (center) with regional director Lauren Shirley (right) and media director AnnaLin Woo (left).
 

Virginia Epilepsy Heroes Day is March 26, and each year, epilepsy heroes gather for our annual Epilepsy Heroes Day Conference. This event features exceptional speakers, including neurology professionals and epilepsy heroes alike. We hope to bring the Virginia epilepsy community together, promote awareness, and inspire our epilepsy heroes. 

This conference has increased in size every year, and we are so excited to invite you to join us for our fourth annual Epilepsy Heroes Day Conference in Norfolk, VA this year! This event is focused in the Tidewater region currently, but we are hoping to expand it to be Virginia-wide as we continue to grow.

Attendees can expect great talks, engaging panel discussions, important information, and a hearty lunch as well! We look forward to seeing many epilepsy heroes, both old friends and new.
 

Many thanks to the following groups for your generous
donations to the Epilepsy Heroes Day Conference!

 

Our doctors are the best, according to the January 2025 edition of Virginia Business magazine.
 
Virginia Business, in cooperation with the Medical Society of Virginia, published Virginia’s Top Doctors, a peer-selected, statewide list of top physicians across 87 categories of medical specialties.
 
Virginia Business contracted with Colorado-based media research and analytics firm DataJoe to conduct online balloting of Virginia physicians, who were asked to identify which of their peers are the top doctors in specific specialties. 9096 doctors were nominated by their peers, but only 1423 made the Top Doctors list.
 
5 of these outstanding doctors serve either on the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia Board or the foundation’s Professional Advisory Board. Here they are!

Regional Director Lowell Evans facilitated seizure training for 300 bus drivers in Virginia Beach this January.
 

After a young Virginia epilepsy hero was caught in her backpack during a seizure on a bus ride, the preventative training session was proposed. The student is unharmed, and many Virginia Beach bus drivers are now better trained to assist in such situations.
 

University of Virginia Brain Institute and School of Medicine researchers have received an initial $9.3 million award from the National Institutes of Health. This grant is part of a larger $30 million clinical trial to determine if the powerful anesthetic ketamine can save patients from prolonged, life-threatening grand mal seizures that won't respond to other treatments.
 

"Status epilepticus," as the seizures are known, are seizures that last more than five minutes or that strike repeatedly without the person regaining consciousness between seizures. These ceaseless seizures are considered a medical emergency and can require intubation and lead to permanent brain damage or even death.
 

The seizures are typically treated with anticonvulsants called benzodiazepines. However, many patients – both adults and children – don't respond to those drugs.

UVA's new trial, called the Ketamine Add-on Therapy for the Established Status Epilepticus Treatment Trial, or KESETT, will evaluate whether adding ketamine to the standard treatment helps improve outcomes for patients suffering status epilepticus.

Read more here!
 

Inova Neuroscience and Spine Institute
1st Tuesday every month
Link to flyer

 

Virginia Epilepsy Support Group
3rd Wednesday every month
Link to flyer
 

SHARE invites epilepsy heroes of the DC metropolitan area, Virginia, and Maryland region to meet with other epilepsy heroes over zoom and in person! Meeting times vary each month- for more information, check the website below.
   

Register now for programs and events offered by the EFVA!
 

 

990 Form

 

Audit

Annual Report

During the last fiscal year, from July 2023 to July 2024, many of you were so kind as to donate to EFVA or have your companies or institutions donate. Thanks to your generous giving, we were able to continue the many programs we have for the 85,000 Virginians with epilepsy. In the annual report below, you will find an expenditure pie chart, as well as a list of the programs, which we can keep running thanks to your financial generosity. 85,000 Virginians with epilepsy are in your debt.

RHODIUM DONORS - $20,000 and above
Dr. Suzanne Bischoff
 
PLATINUM DONORS - $10,000-$19,999
 
GOLD DONORS - $5,000-$9,999
Dr. Paul and Dr. Deren Lyons, Sarah Colson, Patricia C. Lane, Walmart, Bon Secours Mercy Health, Loyal Order of Moose Inc., UVA Health, INOVA, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc., SK Life Science
 

John and Deborah Lannen, Brandon Clodius, Anonymous, Blackbaud Giving Fund, Dr. Stacey Epps, Fidelity Charitable, TowneBank, Edward Jones, James Wood High School, Pivot Physical Therapy, Luck Stone, John Wall, Sara Budic, Derek Bauer, Charles Shade, Virginia Energy and Lighting, R.A. Laraway, Neurelis, Carol and Donald Craighead, Dennis Terry, Jeff Roseme, Lauren Llanes, J Best, Mr. Robert and Mrs. Megan Tschannen-Moran, Morgan Stanley, Winchester Neurological Consultants, Inc., Midnight Brewery, Ameriprise Financial, Glenn Catalano, Laurie Sheppard, TwelveStone Health Partners, Nicole Tritaik Insurance Agency, Inc., Verna Cook, Kelly Levasseur, United Way of South Hampton Roads, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Medical College of Virginia Foundation, Home Infusion Richmond, LLC, UCB, Inc., Sentara Health, Reston Bicycle Club, Patient First, Cleveland Foundation, Heather Colson
 
IRIDIUM DONORS - $500-$999
Nathan Fountain, Dr. Alan Towne, Wendy Parker, Michael Dalton, Clodfelter Machine Inc., Charles & Nancy Rosenblatt Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, Inc., Brian P. Washington, NeuroPace, Steven Roberts, Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Paul Grabb, Peter Bloom, PayPal Giving Fund, Kelly Gil
 
OSMIUM DONORS - $100-$499
Kevin Chandler, Charles Clarke, Bobby & Tania Blackwell, Vincent Brigagliano, Daniel Heneghan, Walt & Lisa Stone, Tabb Davis, Miriam Blackmon, James Heneghan, James Hall, William & Kathy Hall, Taylor Manley, Walter Manley, Patricia Boyd, Susan Custer, Valerie Acosta, Heather McLeod, Josie Saunders, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Katherine Lannen, Douglas and Jennifer McElhinney, Nalini Ayya, Diane and George Edgar Wagoner, The Gray Insurance Co., Martha McLain, Deborah Harriman, David and Linda Fehleisen, Ann Layton, Lisa Brooks, Fay and Jonathan Fretwell, Gregory Cline, Thomas Junod, Dial Love, Jay Snyder, Elizabeth Ruckman, Amanda Wilson, Beth Gourley, Francis Heneghan, Amy Wainright, Lindsey Feldman, Andrew Feldman, Linda Mantiply, Karen Fagan, Mark Terry, Susan Armentrout, Justine Cohen, Paul Greeley, William Clarke, Moshe Heyn, Michael Wallace, Kitty Blackmon, Jeffrey Gardner, Durrell Boyd, Orien Dalton, James Neale, John Clarke, Carolyn Oglesby, Sally Witt, Janet Baggott, Lisa Tuggle, Shantese Smithers, Roselyn Cottrell, Robin Scott, Renee Williams, Mary Murphy, Susan DeLancy, Eric Floranda, William Heneghan, Ellen Purpura, Ronny Laver, Todd Brock, Lawrence Morton, Amy Davis, Ann Johnson, Ned Farley, Jose Robles-Maldonado, Caymran Cummings, Sandra Dicamillo, Kim Clark, Catherine Kominic, Heather MacLeod, Martha H Hartz, John and Jean Carter, Herbert and Elon Perlin, Donna Mercer, Vinny Donnelly, Laurien Dowdy, Carol Lensch, Erik Lensch, Kroger, Epilepsy Foundation, Benjamin Knowles, Beth Owermohle, Earl So, Kimberly Jones, Laura Agaba, Mary Feltault, Penny Singlemann, Ruchelle Buenaventura, Tiffany Keever, William Manley, Draft Electric & Plumbing Service, Inc., Stephan and Shirley Corbin, Angela Meade, Zoe-Ann Copeland, Jordan Mooney, Anonymous
 
PALLADIUM DONORS - up to $99
Dr. A. M. Rijke, Sibylle Rotach Hunt, Peggy Sloan, Gina Washington, Charles Wilber Jr., G. Frank and Tracy Dunlap, Jeffress and Teresa Given, Joe and Brenda Tankesley, Patricia and W.C. Arey, Jean Gibson, Donna Garner, Pam Cowgill, Nancy Hall, Leegie Kirby, Marianne Simmons, Sue Smith, Jennifer Faith Strobel, Dale and S. Lee Heizer, James and Teresa Hott, Samuel and Beverly Richardson, Carol Heizer Wojciechowski, Ann Heizer, Joseph Emmett Lail, Holtzman Oil Corporation, Judy and Guy Eavers, Mary Frances Chittum, Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, Stacey Little, Mark Stevens, Brittany Yost, Wendy Talarico, Joseph DiPiro, Joanna Diaz, Jason Heyn, Marty Heyn, John Heyn, Gary Weidhaas, John Kinney, Patricia Mueller, Travis Marley, Amory Dugan, Eric Mayl, Salome Loera, Adam Liebler, Mary Kauffman, Elhum Shamshiri, Lillian Reynolds, Barbara Donegan, Shirley Ramsey, Doreen Marquis, Ken Kwartler, Ginger Germani, Cary Doak, Kimberly Warren, Angie Fox, Kathryn Nichol, Sheila Rieser, Alicia Lugg, Jeff Elias, Kathie Kelly, Gina Henderson, Dawn Legg, June Walthall, Donna Broshek, Alycia Winter, Rashell Younger, Liam Winters, John and Patricia Smith, Charles and Lou Ann Belvin, Bank of America, Carol Thompson, Janice Tokarsky, Erica Wolfe, Rhiannon Maxton, Lola Shank, Pat McClellan, Donna Applebee, Jeremy Ingram, Melinda Monet, Laura Ford, Jason Rush, Joey Jarvis, Bryant Clarke, Sean Plunkett, Rhonda Deputy, Janet Lynn, Doris Freund, Amy Kritzman, Debbee Kiel, Holly Schrank, Dale Chimerofsky, Jim Fry, Randall Anthony, Owen Thompson, Michelle Eddy, Nancy McMicken, Robert Sillmon Jr., Frank Santa, Colin William, Rosalba Rosario, Theodore Stout, Shannon Reardon, Cathy Padgett, Wendy Dee, Nancy Cundiff, Rhoda Ballantyne, Tyler Hawkins, Amanda Faith, Maggie Shanley, Kim Flanders, Deanna Reger, Gmen RC, Russ Brickey, Alice Huggins, Marianne Bowen, Tami Phoenix, Steve Heller, Margaret Brooke, Alejandro Mattiuzzo, Amie Knapp, April Marshall, Erin Dudley, Katie Zimmerman, Laura Lay, Susan Cohen, Heather Davis, Elizabeth Marie, Shannon Martin, Alejandro Mattiuzzo, Michael Siefring, Sandra and Lynwood Hutchens, Carlton and Sharon Brydge, Jamie Swann, Brielle Parker, Sherry Buenaventura, Julie Mick, Leesa Gauthier, Malinda Hargrove-Miller, Richard Rencher, Devonee Shearer, Anonymous