St Valentine, is not only known as the patron saint of marriage and love, he is also known as the patron saint for epilepsy. Some attribute this to the name ‘Valentine’ being similar to the German word for “fallen,” as many types of seizures could cause a person to fall. Others say that a bishop named Valentine healed a Roman orator’s son from a seizure.
Regardless of its roots, 2022 is a special year as the two holidays coincide on February 14th – Valentine’s Day and International Epilepsy Day. Over 130 countries, including Malta, held special events to bring attention to epilepsy, one of the most common brain disorders affecting over 50 million people worldwide, and over 4,000 persons in Malta. Caritas Malta Epilepsy Association, which has been set up for 25 years, works hard to disseminate more information about this much misunderstood condition.
Purple is the colour associated with epilepsy and for this reason many buildings around Malta and Gozo were lit up in purple for the past few days, the international colour for epilepsy awareness. These buildings included: Auberge de Castille, Palazzo Castellania, Palazzo Ferreria, Pembroke Local Council and the Reġjun Lvant office, Żurrieq Local Council, and the Għajnsielem Local Council.
The Caritas Malta Epilepsy Association is very grateful for the support of The Office of Prime Minister, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry for Health, the Ministry for Social Justice and Solidarity, and the Pembroke, Reġjun Lvant, Żurrieq and Għajnsielem local council offices respectively, in this regard.
The Caritas Malta Epilepsy Association (CMEA) was set up in 1996 and registered as an NGO in 2017 and it is run on a voluntary basis. The Association also participates as a full and active member of the International Bureau for Epilepsy. As part of their vision of working towards “a better life for people with epilepsy” in Malta, CMEA volunteers to provide training to educators, LSEs and schools, Aġenzija Sapport, police officers, social workers, and healthcare professionals working in various sectors. CMEA also participates in local and international media efforts with various stakeholders to ensure a better quality of life and the provision of better health care and social services for all persons with epilepsy, their carers and their families.
For more information or to request training for your school or place of employment, contact CMEA at [email protected] or visit https://www.caritasmalta.org/cmea/.