‘Purplethon’: A walk for a cause to raise awareness on Epilepsy in Pune

Pune: On Sunday, March 24, a Purplethon walk to raise awareness on epilepsy will take place inside the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi and will cover a 5 km route. The registration for this event is free and is open to anyone above 10 years of age.

The start and finish points are inside the premises with clear cut instructions along with hydration support and beverages for the participants. Doctors will be available at the spot in case of any emergency. The chief Guest for Purplethon is the District Governor of Rotary International District 3131, Manjoo Phadke.

The flagging off of the event takes place at 7.30 am. However, the participants are expected to be there by 6.30 am. An entertainment program will be conducted after the completion of the walk.

An announcement was made by the president of Rotary Club of Pune Baner, Jigneshh Karria. Briefing about the purplethon, Karria said, "The name Purplethon is derived from the name of Epilepsy Day, which is called the Purple Day, Purplethon, a special walkathon, signifies the need to support and create awareness about our valuable medical project.”

The event holds great importance as it aims to create awareness about epilepsy. The club has been instrumental in conducting 15 such epilepsy surgeries in the current year between July 1, 2023 till date. All the patients have shown remarkable progress. In the case of most of the patients, the condition is reversed, and they restart life afresh.

The funds for the surgery were collected via CSR and also via other sources. All the surgeries were conducted by Dr Nikesh Kurwale at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital. The operated patients also include the pediatric age group. The cost of each surgery is close to Rs 6 lakhs.

These neurological surgeries can be a life changing experience for the patients of epilepsy and their families along with surrounding community, who otherwise have to suffer a great deal owing to this condition. The quality of life of these patients and their families is appalling and the surgeries bring relief from the condition.