One of the things I talk about all the time is how much your stories matter to me: your struggles, your triumphs, and your hopes and fears. My CURE family is an inspiration to me and it’s never been truer than over the last few days.

As I told the guests at the Washington, D.C. CURE viewing party: The notes I receive from families, friends, and people with epilepsy are heartfelt, often so sad and painful, and show our hunger to turn the tide.

a poster at Tracy and Maureen's "60 Minutes" viewing party in San Diego, CA

And the stories from some of the other viewing parties have made me smile… and believe even more strongly that NOW is our time and that the tide is, indeed, turning.

Tracy Dixon-Salazar, a valued member of our Research Review Board, hosted a viewing party in San Diego with Maureen O’Connor, whose daughter Bryn suffers from intractable epilepsy. Tracy, her daughter Savannah, and all our CURE friends in California came through once again.

Maureen, Savannah, and Tracy wear CURE t-shirts at their "60 Minutes" viewing party

The San Diego party gathered a few dozen friends and family members, who were all dismayed by the lack of research funding for epilepsy, covered by the “60 Minutes” segment.

Tracy sent a few of her party photos, seen here, with this message:

“Thanks for allowing us to be a part of this. We love you, CURE. Thanks for kicking a little epilepsy butt today.”

Savannah has the right idea--No Seizures!

Thank YOU, Tracy and Maureen—and all the CURE members and friends—for your efforts on behalf of CURE. We’d love to hear more viewing party stories, and see your photos; please send them our way by emailing to danielle@cureepilepsy.org.

For me, I’m off to Boston for the Center for Integration of Medicine & Innovative Technology’s Innovative Congress. I’ll be giving a keynote speech and will be part of a panel on best practices—a discussion on how creative collaboration can bring about new therapies and discoveries. Of course, I’ll be doing my own “creative collaboration”—spreading the word about CURE and our new “Every Dollar Counts” campaign as much as possible!

Join me in getting the word out about the desperate need for more research dollars and the Every Dollar Counts/Every Seizure Matters campaign! Get five friends to register on the website and give whatever they can.