Hello,

My name is Pallavi Chandrashekar. Following my job offer early this year, my mother and I relocated to Penticton, BC. I'm a 'person with epilepsy' and have been for close to two decades. In 2006, when it was first diagnosed, the medication prescribed was able to moderate the frequency and intensity of my attacks. Eventually, there was a period when I was free from it too. However, in 2015, I relapsed with increased side effects. Nevertheless, we managed it in the best possible ways based on the resources available then.

But, since 2021, something different started to happen. My usual nocturnal attacks progressed to an onset of symptoms and episodes during the day. It was recurrent and continues to be so. The random patterns not only took me to the ER in Toronto but also caused immense inconvenience to the people around me during those times. For a better understanding of these attacks, I request you to kindly Google, Todd's Paralysis. *Reference shared is only to elucidate the purpose of this fundraiser*. When I returned to India in 2021, my mother and I visited neurologists and had examinations done. Possible causes and various remedies (on a trial basis) were suggested. The dosage of medication went up to a point where the doctors/neurologists advised that they couldn't prescribe beyond that measure. The difference between then and now (in the past year) is that the frequency has increased and the recovery period is prolonged. These types of attacks have begun affecting my physical and mental capacities. As a result, our livelihood.

With the efforts of institutions like WHO, IBE, ILEA, and others, global awareness of the condition has risen with a search for effective solutions. Even still, the disproportionality between the urgent need for medical support and its availability, within Canada, has brought us to a halt. The current estimated wait time in BC for a consultation with a neurologist and referred examinations is over a year.

We continue to contact medical services in multiple cities. Hoping to identify prompt and best-suited solutions. This decision to raise funds has been a difficult one however, a genuine necessity at this time. And, we aim to raise CAD 12,000. I humbly request your support to keep our efforts afloat and better manage these urgent requirements.

Thank you for your time and contribution in this matter. Hoping this message and link can be shared with more people in your circles.

Pallavi Chandrashekar

P.S. If further information is required, please email me.