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Actor helps raise awareness of epilepsy
By Kat Carney
(CNN) -- Actor John O'Hurley is best known for his role as J. Peterman on "Seinfeld." But in San Diego he is also known for is role as honorary chairman of the local chapter of the Epilepsy Foundation, where he assists with fund raising and education. For O'Hurley, this role is personal. In 1970, he lost his sister, Carol, to complications related to epilepsy. "She had fainting spells," he recalls. "That's kind of what people referred to them as. I was aware of it early on in high school." Epilepsy is an incurable brain disorder affecting more than 2 million people in the United States. In many cases, it can be managed through medication and diet. Most people with epilepsy lead normal lives, but the disorder can result in recurrent muscle spasms, seizures or loss of consciousness. O'Hurley says he will never forget the first time he saw his sister have a seizure. "It scared the living daylights out of me. It is one of the scariest things to see. That probably [explains] the public stigma that happens with epilepsy, where someone will drop and all of sudden go into convulsions and lose consciousness." Experts say if you witness a person having a seizure, you can help by rolling the person on his or her side and cushion the head. Otherwise, let the person move freely. And contrary to popular belief, don't put anything in his or her mouth. In most cases, epilepsy is not fatal, but Carol's story had an unfortunate ending. "It was during the night when she had a seizure face-down on the pillow," O'Hurley says. "She passed on that way. That's a very, very small percentage. It's more important to let people know that epilepsy is not fatal." It's also important to O'Hurley to let kids with epilepsy known they're not alone. He has helped set up annual summer camps that are free of charge for children with epilepsy. While O'Hurley says his efforts are inspired in part by the memory of his sister, he also is inspired by people he has never met. "I had one letter from one mother who says, 'I cannot put into words how much it meant for my daughter to be able to go and find out she wasn't the only one [who] had this.' And that's what makes it worth it."
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