Emma lends a hand to charity that has been her ‘light’
Emma Griffith from Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, has won a place in history after being chosen to represent the charity, Epilepsy Society, as part of a special public art installation in London.
Emma, who was diagnosed with epilepsy as a child, is to have her hand cast in brass or aluminium for a special donor wall at UCL in London.
The wall celebrates the UCL Circle of Benefactors which recognises organisations and individuals who have gone above and beyond to support the university’s people, research and projects. It was created by artist Dr Sarah Fortais and features casts of hands of UCL’s donors and their representatives.
The Epilepsy Society works in close partnership with UCL and UCLH to carry out ground-breaking research in the field of epilepsy. When the charity was asked to be part of the wall, it ran a competition to find someone to represent the organisation who had benefited from its services.
Emma, 34, has been treated at the charity’s Chalfont Centre in Chalfont St Peter since she was a teenager.
“I had experienced absence seizures throughout my childhood,” says Emma, “but when I was around 18 or 19 years old, I had my first tonic clonic seizure which turned my life upside down. I had to get my head around understanding medications and their side effects and I had to learn to live with the impact of epilepsy on my life, including not being able to drive and how it affected my work and social life.
“The Epilepsy Society became my light in so much darkness. It has guided me in managing my condition and has helped me in managing a more stable life which I could not have done without the help of my amazing consultant.”
Seizure free
Emma has now been seizure free for over five years and feels she is able to get on with her life, living independently and working. This year she raised £2,000 for the Epilepsy Society by sky diving from a plane. She has also raised awareness of epilepsy among healthcare professionals by sharing her experience of epilepsy.
She said: “I was thrilled to be asked to represent the charity as part of the wall and it was very exciting to spend time at UCL having my hand cast and seeing where it will eventually be displayed. I feel proud and privileged to be the hand of the Epilepsy Society.”
Empowering people
Clare Pelham, Chief Executive at the charity said: “We were delighted to select Emma as our ‘hand in history’. She embodies everything that the Epilepsy Society is about – empowering people with epilepsy to live the lives they want to lead. Our goal is to make epilepsy the least important part of a person’s life, through better diagnosis and personalised medicine. And Emma illustrates that perfectly.
“We are proud to work in partnership with UCL and UCLH in accelerating the pace of discovery and progress in the treatment of epilepsy. It is our innovative use of science and technology that makes us world leaders in bringing change and delivering hope to people with epilepsy.”
Philanthropic partnership
Angharad Milenkovic, Vice-President (Advancement) at UCL, said: “Emma’s hand cast is a welcome addition to our striking donor wall – a celebration of the power of philanthropy at the heart of our Bloomsbury campus. Emma’s hand will be an inspiring symbol of the philanthropic partnership which we are proud to have with The Epilepsy Society.”
The Epilepsy Society would like to thank everyone who entered the competition to select a hand to represent the charity on the UCL Circle of Benefactors wall.