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Comprehensive Epilepsy Center Resources for Patients & Families

NYU Langone’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center offers a wide variety of resources for patients and families through Finding a Cure for Epilepsy and Seizures (FACES), an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults with epilepsy and seizure disorders, and their families, through research, education, and clinical and community support programs.

Events and Programs

FACES hosts a variety of events and programs throughout the year. From our annual FACES Gala and Game Day event to other patient and family programs, we help unite people who are interested in the common goal of raising epilepsy and seizure awareness. For more information about our complete roster of programs and events, please email us at FACESInfo@NYULangone.org.

The FACES Apartments

The FACES apartments are available free of charge for families seeking treatment at the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. The apartments help families traveling from far distances for medical treatment lasting from one to three weeks. The FACES apartments typically have a waiting list, so for best availability, please contact us as early as possible at FACESApartments@NYULangone.org.

The FACES Parent Network

The FACES Parent Network provides opportunities to connect with parents on the many issues surrounding care for a child with epilepsy. We pair parents with other parents who have experienced similar issues when dealing with a child or adult who has a chronic illness, called support parents. The connections between parents and support parents are generally through phone and email.

Whether it’s the hospitalization process, educational services, or social support resources, drawing on others’ experience can be quite valuable. FACES support parents are trained to provide a safe listening environment to parents. They are not trained to provide medical advice or professional counseling.

If you are interested in connecting with a support parent or would like more information, please contact Peggy Guinnessey, MPH, CTRS, at 212-263-2644 or Peggy.Guinnessey@NYULangone.org.

Dr. Blanca Vazquez Summer Camp Scholarship

Summer camp can be a wonderful experience for children with epilepsy. Our Summer Camp Scholarship Program, named in honor of Blanca Vazquez, MD, director of epilepsy clinical trials, serves children with epilepsy in financial need and allows them to experience fun, confidence-building activities.

The 2024 application is now open. Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

If you have any questions or would like more information about the 2024 program, please email FACESScholarship@NYULangone.org or call 646-558-0900.

FACES College Scholarship Program

To recognize the personal accomplishments of those living with epilepsy during their college journey, FACES annually provides partial financial support for the education of incoming freshmen or currently enrolled college students who have epilepsy and seizure disorders.

Along with a high school or current college transcript and a personal statement, please include a letter of recommendation from someone involved in your academic career indicating why this scholarship will be helpful for your college education. This letter should speak to your character, work ethic, and how epilepsy has affected you. A separate letter of recommendation from a certified medical practitioner involved in your medical care is required. This care provider does not need to be an NYU Langone Health provider. This recommendation must state your epilepsy diagnosis or experiences with seizures.

Applications are open and available until Monday, June 3, 2024. For more information about our FACES scholarships, please contact us at 646-558-0900 or email FACESScholarship@NYULangone.org.

FACES Annual Newsletters

Our FACES annual newsletter highlights our programs and activities and feature articles written by patients, caregivers, and staff from NYU Langone’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. A hard copy of our annual newsletter is mailed out every September. Please email FACESInfo@NYULangone.org to sign up for our newsletters.

Peace of Mind Lecture Series

In support of the mission of FACES to improve the quality of life for those living with epilepsy and seizure disorders, we offer a series of free lectures to the public to help educate patients and family members. Lectures are provided by doctors and other professionals from the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. To learn more, please email us at FACESInfo@NYULangone.org.

Peace of Mind Lecture Series Archive

Our Peace of Mind Lecture Series has been a mainstay of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center for over a decade. In recent years, lectures switched to a virtual format and are recorded for playback at your convenience. Previous lectures provide general information about epilepsy and seizure disorders. Other lectures dig deep into topics such as music therapy, pharmaceutical treatments, ketogenic diets, and more.

Watch previous Peace of Mind lectures.

FACES Gala

The annual FACES Gala is a celebration of the FACES community and supports the NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and its physicians, researchers, and specialists in pioneering cutting-edge technologies and breakthroughs toward finding a cure for epilepsy and seizures.

The 2024 FACES Gala will be held on Monday, March 4, 2024 from 6:30 to 9:30PM at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, New York, NY 10011. Individual tickets as well as information about sponsorships and screen ads are now available.

FACES Epilepsy Conference

The annual FACES Epilepsy Conference takes place on a single day, providing patients and their families with the latest information about epilepsy and seizure disorders. FACES invites several epilepsy care advocates and organizations to share their advances in epilepsy management, seizure care, and wellbeing. Several sessions occur throughout the day, which include presenters from all over the country in addition to our very own medical professionals from the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.

Watch informative lectures, panels, and question-and-answer sessions from our 2023 FACES Epilepsy Conference.

TeamFACES Endurance Events

Lace up your sneakers and compete on TeamFACES. TeamFACES was established in 2013 and has raised more than $1.1 million to support people with epilepsy and seizure disorders. This program allows athletes to use endurance events as a way to spread epilepsy awareness and fundraise in support of the FACES mission.

TeamFACES is currently a charity partner of the TCS New York City Marathon in November and the United Airlines New York City Half Marathon in March.

Athletes are encouraged to participate for TeamFACES outside of our official events. Whether you are competing in a community 5K or national race, add meaning to your miles and support TeamFACES. You are provided with a TeamFACES shirt, promotional materials, and fundraising support leading up to your race.

Please contact Harrisson Quijote for additional information on fundraising requirements, team availability and other TeamFACES questions at Harrisson.Quijote@NYULangone.org or call 646-558-0824.

Nutrition Services

FACES is proud to fund the nutrition programs at the NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. Registered dietitians at the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center recognize that diet is an integral part of treatment and wellbeing for people with epilepsy and seizure disorders, and help both children and adults maintain a healthy diet to reduce the frequency of seizures.

Improving nutrition and diet quality starts with balanced meal planning, maintaining energy balance, and drinking enough fluids. Eating a variety of foods helps maximize nutrient intake. Our dietitians often recommend “eating the rainbow,” meaning a variety of different colored fruits, vegetables, and grains. Healthy meal planning guidelines emphasize the consumption of lean protein, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, whole grains. It is encouraged that people have at least five servings per day of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Our dietitians typically recommend three different diets—a ketogenic diet, a modified Atkins diet, and a low glycemic index diet—and offer advice on which one may be best based on the type of seizures or epilepsy a person has. For more information on dietary therapies for epilepsy and seizure disorders or building a specialized diet, please schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. An appointment with one of our experts is needed in order to receive nutrition services with one of our registered dietitians. You can schedule an appointment online or call us at 646-558-0800.

Contact Us

The success of FACES is due to the supreme generosity of the participants, donors, and business partners throughout our community. There are many ways to give back to FACES, and the options are seemingly endless. Ranging from financial donations, hosting fundraisers, or simply raising awareness—all help is appreciated and welcomed.

For more information or to participate in any of our programs, please email us at FACESInfo@NYULangone.org or call us at 646-558-0900. To receive up-to-date information about our programs and scholarship offerings, join the FACES mailing list. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or make a donation online.