Great Lakes Mall To Host Epilepsy Winter Walk This Saturday

The Great Lakes Mall will host the Epilepsy Association's seventh annual eastern Winter Walk from 8 to 9:30 a.m. this Saturday.

People can support the walk and Epilepsy research in two ways. They can either start a team of walkers and collect pledges or donate to an already existing team.

People can register and donate through Saturday morning.

It's free to join the walk and walkers who raise at least $50 will get an event T‐shirt. Participants can also take part in epilepsy-related educational games and activities, as well as enter to win raffle prizes.

Tracey McCool of Fox 8 will serve as celebrity MC.

Also, the Epilepsy Association will hold a Winter Walk the same day on the west side of Cleveland at the SouthPark Mall in Strongsville. It will be hosted by Fox 8's Bill Martin.

Each year, the Epilepsy Association highlights local families who have struggled with the disease at the Winter Walk.

This year, Duane Fender and his family are telling their story at the Mentor mall.

Fender is married to Carolyn Fender and they have four children together. He was diagnosed with epilepsy at 16.

However, a few years ago, Fender began having bouts of extreme emotions -- anger, laughter and others. At first, he and his family thought he might be having panic or anxiety attacks.

But after many trips to several doctors, they found he suffered from gelastic (or "laughing") seizures.

The seizures have made it difficult for Fender to work and he has been unemployed for the last two years, but his family continues to love and support him.

His four children will all be at the Winter Walk, wearing stickers that say, "Walking for my Dad."

The Epilepsy Association is trying to raise $75,000 for research and treatment. As of Tuesday morning, it has raised $47,000. The association said that 87 cents of every dollar raised goes to help those who suffer from the condition.