At Young Adults with Epilepsy (YAWE), our mission is to foster resilience and independence in young adults with epilepsy. Through education, empowerment, and sustained support, we aim to transform lives by facilitating access to resources, promoting awareness, and creating a nurturing community that embraces diversity and inclusivity.
Epilepsy affects 50 million people worldwide and over 4,000 in Monterey County, yet stigma and lack of education persist, especially in Spanish-speaking communities. Up to 80% of people with epilepsy report experiencing stigma.
Young Adults with Epilepsy (YAWE), a peer-led organization, is uniquely positioned to change this. We bring lived experience, cultural competence, and creativity using storytelling, education, and peer support to normalize epilepsy and change lives.
Language access and cultural stigma remain key barriers to safety and care for many Spanish-speaking families, for which YAWE provides Spanish resources. With your support, Monterey County can become a model of seizure safety, awareness, and inclusion.
YAWE is also conducting a groundbreaking neurofeedback research study in Monterey, CA on non-pharmacological interventions to alleviate epileptic symptoms, measure mental health, and track the effectiveness of our work.
Together, we can create a community where no young person with epilepsy feels alone.
A seizure should never become a source of shame or make someone feel like a burden. With the right education, people can learn how to stay calm, create safety, give space when needed, and help life return to normal afterward. For me, YAWE represents the kind of understanding I wish more people had when I was growing up. Support does not have to be dramatic or overbearing. Sometimes the most powerful thing someone can do is stay calm, listen without judgment, respect independence, and remind the person they are not alone. My hope is that YAWE helps create the kind of understanding I wish existed when I was younger, so the next person who has a seizure is met with support, not shame
- Austin Cole, Carmel Valley
