Epilepsy is a serious medical issue, and one the public needs to learn more about. Today's society is largely unaware of how prevalent epilepsy is, and this, unfortunately, leads to many stigmas and misconceptions flooding our airwaves, reading materials and conversations. The Epilepsy Foundation and other organizations can release all kinds of educational materials, but the message will only be truly driven home by advocates with the personal connection to epilepsy visiting their elected representatives and making their voices heard. Their faces and their stories are burned into the voting representatives in charge of the casting key legislation for change.

A personal connection to epilepsy also helps drive an advocate to succeed. I was diagnosed with epilepsy at 15, and had I not lived with it all my life, I might not have succeeded in writing and championing the Americans with Disabilities Act. Because of my personal history, I was compelled to do something to help those with disabilities live the better, more comfortable lives everyone deserve. An advocate like Amy is an invaluable asset to the fight against the lack of epilepsy awareness for the same reason. Her intelligence, eloquence and personal connection to epilepsy will make the Out of the Shadows campaign achieve its mission - shedding light on epilepsy. A campaign is only as strong as its leader, and when your leader is as determined as Amy, there's no chance of it failing. Of this, I am confident.”