Calumet City teen one of 40 youths at epilepsy rally on Capitol Hill

By Southland Savvy

Monica Manly, 16, of Calumet City, is in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with congressional leaders and gain their support for epilepsy public health programs and more research toward a cure for epilepsy.

Manly is one of 40 young people from across the country participating in Kids Speak Up!, a national program coordinated by the Epilepsy Foundation. The program, which runs today through Thursday, rallies young ambassadors with epilepsy between the ages of 8 and 17 to personally petition congressional leaders for aid in assuring better access to care, improved public education and more research toward a cure for epilepsy.

"Monica was selected to participate in Kids Speak Up! to represent the approximately 350,000 children who are living with epilepsy," said Eric Hargis, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation. "She is an ideal candidate because of her efforts to spread awareness of epilepsy in her community. Her courage is an inspiration to us all."

New this year is the congressional briefing in which Greg Grunberg, star of NBC's "Heroes," who also serves as a Foundation spokesman in honor of his son Jake, who has epilepsy, will highlight the need for increased support of epilepsy research and the importance of public awareness and understanding of the condition. Joining Greg, will be Jason Snelling of the Atlanta Falcons -- who lives with epilepsy, and Geoffrey Pope of the Philadelphia Eagles -- whose grandmother has epilepsy.

Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition in children and affects nearly 3 million people in the United States. According to the World Health Organization, more than 300,000 children under the age of 15 live with epilepsy in the United States.