Go purple for Epilepsy Queensland’s Purple Day

Townsville is encouraged to wear purple on Thursday to recognise those people who are living with epilepsy worldwide.

Unbeknown to Naomi Dollisson when she was watching her toddler’s eyes roll into the back of his head, she was watching her son having a silent seizure.

Townsville is encouraged to wear purple tomorrow to raise funds and awareness of the neurological disorder.

Naomi Dollisson with son Emmett, 5, who was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was three. Picture: Alix Sweeney

At just three years old, Ms Dollisson’s son Emmett was diagnosed with early onset absence seizures generalised epilepsy. He was having up to 50 seizures a day.

After showing Emmett’s doctor a video of his seizures, Ms Dollisson said her son’s diagnosis was a tough time for her and her husband Ben Dollisson.

“I would see his eyes rolling when he was having a tantrum and I said to the doctor, ‘is it behavioural or is it something else’,” she said.

“When Emmett was first diagnosed, I didn’t know where I could go for support but Epilepsy Queensland was great and they gave us lots of resources when there was no local support.”

The now five-year-old has just started Prep this year at St Clare’s Catholic School and has been controlled on his medication for the past two years.

Ms Dollisson credits Purple Day as an opportunity to make connections within the local community to bring epilepsy out of the shadows.

Originally published as Go purple for Epilepsy Queensland’s Purple Day