Catching Them Before They Fall

Did you know that 1 in every 100 children in Israel lives with epilepsy? For these children and their families, epilepsy is far more than an occasional seizure. It is a constant presence in their lives, bringing emotional, social, educational, and practical challenges that families often face on their own. Families need professional guidance and support to navigate these challenges, yet today, that support is largely unavailable. There are currently no dedicated social work positions within pediatric epilepsy services in Israel. It's Time to Change the Reality for 20,000 Children Living with Epilepsy For the past 40 years, the Israel Epilepsy Association (EYAL) has worked to improve the lives of people with epilepsy and their families by advancing rights, raising public awareness, and driving meaningful systemic change through advocacy, education, and policy initiatives. Today, we are developing a groundbreaking program designed to ensure that no family faces epilepsy alone. Our goal is to place dedicated social workers in every pediatric epilepsy department across Israel, providing children and their families with professional guidance and support from the moment of diagnosis as they learn to navigate life with epilepsy. In 2024, we launched a crowdfunding campaign, with one of its key goals being the creation of a pilot for a national social work program for families of children with epilepsy. We are proud to share that, following the pilot's success, the Ministry of Health recognized the importance of this initiative and committed to funding 70% of the program's costs through Israel's National Neurology Program. Now, we must raise the remaining NIS 350,000—the final 30% needed to bring this vision to life. With heartfelt gratitude, The Israel Epilepsy Association Team