The Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia (EFVA) is proud to announce the winners of the Elizabeth Hart Dalton Memorial Scholarship, awarded to two outstanding students: Messiah Sears and Keira Lozada. These students have demonstrated exceptional resilience and dedication in their journeys with epilepsy.

Established through the generosity of the Dalton family in memory of Elizabeth Hart Dalton, the scholarship awards $2,500 each to Virginia-based students currently managing epilepsy or seizure disorders.

This year, EFVA received 9 applications. Applicants were evaluated based on their academic performance, college acceptances, and most of all, their personal essay describing how they have overcome challenges associated with epilepsy. Succeeding academically while managing epilepsy requires persistence, discipline, and a great deal of planning—qualities that both recipients clearly embody.

The two recipients selected represent the vision of the scholarship, showing courage in living with epilepsy, a commitment to their education, and perseverance in removing the barriers their condition presents.
 

Executive director Suzanne Bischoff visited an epilepsy clinic in Bristol in southwestern Virginia, speaking with 29 epilepsy heroes and their families. She was very much impressed by a grandmother and grandfather who had taken 4 grandchildren with disabilities into their home. They have some acres around the house and teach the kids to grow vegetables. The non-verbal young epilepsy hero with them looked peaceful and content, petting her toy with great enthusiasm. The Exec asked herself where the kids would have been if it was not for their grandparents.

Other families present had some disagreement about their dog’s behavior. Some family members felt a seizure alert dog should behave better. Other family members said the dog had not been treated well. EFVA has worked on lots of problems with seizure alert dogs. Oftentimes, a family does not understand that seizure dogs need regular food, rest and exercise- just like any other dog! The EFVA advises that a family who is not content approach the organization who trained the dog and as a second step, give the dog to the SPCA. All in all, a very interesting clinic day!
 

(For more on seizure dogs, see the resource booklet created by EFVA.)

Dr. Harold Freeman is credited with the first instances of nurse navigators. He noted some ways that socioeconomic barriers can impair access to medical care, and witnessed how connecting patients, providing early screening, and keeping patients as informed as possibly led to higher survival rates. Thus, nurse navigation was born!

Nurse navigators are more like a cross between a nurse and a social worker, but distinct from both- they serve more patient/relations but are familiar with all the clinical side of the hospital, procedures, and medications. 

In short, nurse navigators are primarily educators! They mainly act as a go-between for patients, nurses, and doctors, and serve as a touch-point and resource for patients and their families, building trust and a personal relationship with their patients.

Thanks to the epilepsy heroes for tuning in with us to find out more about how nurse navigators can help epilepsy heroes!

Thank you to UCB for being the first platinum sponsor for the 2025 Tour de Midnight, and to Bon Secours being the first medical institution to support the 2025 Tour de Midnight.

Thank you, sponsors, for your support of Virginia's epilepsy heroes!
 

Interested in sponsoring the Tour de Midnight? See here for our sponsorship prospectus!
 

When: October 11, 2025. Race begins at 9am
Where: 225 Al Smith Circle, Berryville, VA 22611

$25 registration fee and prizes for the 5k participants!

Other activities on race day include a 1-mile kids race, raffles, a pie eating contest, live music, and seizure education. 

 

Since EFVA received the Invest In Others grant for its USE A HELMET campaign in February 2025, we have distributed 1500 campaign flyers to bicycle clubs around our Commonwealth.

In conjunction with the Brain Awareness Outreach group at the University of Virginia, which is run primarily by graduate student and undergraduate volunteers, EFVA has shared the Use a Helmet, Prevent Epilepsy message with:
 

Additionally, at a clients'  request, EFVA is working on creating some USE A HELMET yard signs that will be available to order online! Please stay tuned- more info coming soon.
 

 

Inova Neuroscience and Spine Institute
1st Tuesday every month
Link to flyer

 

Virginia Epilepsy Support Group
3rd Wednesday every month
Link to flyer
 

 

Register now for programs and events offered by the EFVA!
 

 

990 Form

 

Audit

Annual Report

During the last fiscal year, from July 2023 to July 2024, many of you were so kind as to donate to EFVA or have your companies or institutions donate. Thanks to your generous giving, we were able to continue the many programs we have for the 85,000 Virginians with epilepsy. In the annual report below, you will find an expenditure pie chart, as well as a list of the programs, which we can keep running thanks to your financial generosity. 85,000 Virginians with epilepsy are in your debt.

RHODIUM DONORS - $20,000 and above
Dr. Suzanne Bischoff
 
PLATINUM DONORS - $10,000-$19,999
 
GOLD DONORS - $5,000-$9,999
Dr. Paul and Dr. Deren Lyons, Sarah Colson, Patricia C. Lane, Walmart, Bon Secours Mercy Health, Loyal Order of Moose Inc., UVA Health, INOVA, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc., SK Life Science
 

John and Deborah Lannen, Brandon Clodius, Anonymous, Blackbaud Giving Fund, Dr. Stacey Epps, Fidelity Charitable, TowneBank, Edward Jones, James Wood High School, Pivot Physical Therapy, Luck Stone, John Wall, Sara Budic, Derek Bauer, Charles Shade, Virginia Energy and Lighting, R.A. Laraway, Neurelis, Carol and Donald Craighead, Dennis Terry, Jeff Roseme, Lauren Llanes, J Best, Mr. Robert and Mrs. Megan Tschannen-Moran, Morgan Stanley, Winchester Neurological Consultants, Inc., Midnight Brewery, Ameriprise Financial, Glenn Catalano, Laurie Sheppard, TwelveStone Health Partners, Nicole Tritaik Insurance Agency, Inc., Verna Cook, Kelly Levasseur, United Way of South Hampton Roads, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Medical College of Virginia Foundation, Home Infusion Richmond, LLC, UCB, Inc., Sentara Health, Reston Bicycle Club, Patient First, Cleveland Foundation, Heather Colson
 
IRIDIUM DONORS - $500-$999
Nathan Fountain, Dr. Alan Towne, Wendy Parker, Michael Dalton, Clodfelter Machine Inc., Charles & Nancy Rosenblatt Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, Inc., Brian P. Washington, NeuroPace, Steven Roberts, Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Paul Grabb, Peter Bloom, PayPal Giving Fund, Kelly Gil
 
OSMIUM DONORS - $100-$499
Kevin Chandler, Charles Clarke, Bobby & Tania Blackwell, Vincent Brigagliano, Daniel Heneghan, Walt & Lisa Stone, Tabb Davis, Miriam Blackmon, James Heneghan, James Hall, William & Kathy Hall, Taylor Manley, Walter Manley, Patricia Boyd, Susan Custer, Valerie Acosta, Heather McLeod, Josie Saunders, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Katherine Lannen, Douglas and Jennifer McElhinney, Nalini Ayya, Diane and George Edgar Wagoner, The Gray Insurance Co., Martha McLain, Deborah Harriman, David and Linda Fehleisen, Ann Layton, Lisa Brooks, Fay and Jonathan Fretwell, Gregory Cline, Thomas Junod, Dial Love, Jay Snyder, Elizabeth Ruckman, Amanda Wilson, Beth Gourley, Francis Heneghan, Amy Wainright, Lindsey Feldman, Andrew Feldman, Linda Mantiply, Karen Fagan, Mark Terry, Susan Armentrout, Justine Cohen, Paul Greeley, William Clarke, Moshe Heyn, Michael Wallace, Kitty Blackmon, Jeffrey Gardner, Durrell Boyd, Orien Dalton, James Neale, John Clarke, Carolyn Oglesby, Sally Witt, Janet Baggott, Lisa Tuggle, Shantese Smithers, Roselyn Cottrell, Robin Scott, Renee Williams, Mary Murphy, Susan DeLancy, Eric Floranda, William Heneghan, Ellen Purpura, Ronny Laver, Todd Brock, Lawrence Morton, Amy Davis, Ann Johnson, Ned Farley, Jose Robles-Maldonado, Caymran Cummings, Sandra Dicamillo, Kim Clark, Catherine Kominic, Heather MacLeod, Martha H Hartz, John and Jean Carter, Herbert and Elon Perlin, Donna Mercer, Vinny Donnelly, Laurien Dowdy, Carol Lensch, Erik Lensch, Kroger, Epilepsy Foundation, Benjamin Knowles, Beth Owermohle, Earl So, Kimberly Jones, Laura Agaba, Mary Feltault, Penny Singlemann, Ruchelle Buenaventura, Tiffany Keever, William Manley, Draft Electric & Plumbing Service, Inc., Stephan and Shirley Corbin, Angela Meade, Zoe-Ann Copeland, Jordan Mooney, Anonymous
 
PALLADIUM DONORS - up to $99
Dr. A. M. Rijke, Sibylle Rotach Hunt, Peggy Sloan, Gina Washington, Charles Wilber Jr., G. Frank and Tracy Dunlap, Jeffress and Teresa Given, Joe and Brenda Tankesley, Patricia and W.C. Arey, Jean Gibson, Donna Garner, Pam Cowgill, Nancy Hall, Leegie Kirby, Marianne Simmons, Sue Smith, Jennifer Faith Strobel, Dale and S. Lee Heizer, James and Teresa Hott, Samuel and Beverly Richardson, Carol Heizer Wojciechowski, Ann Heizer, Joseph Emmett Lail, Holtzman Oil Corporation, Judy and Guy Eavers, Mary Frances Chittum, Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, Stacey Little, Mark Stevens, Brittany Yost, Wendy Talarico, Joseph DiPiro, Joanna Diaz, Jason Heyn, Marty Heyn, John Heyn, Gary Weidhaas, John Kinney, Patricia Mueller, Travis Marley, Amory Dugan, Eric Mayl, Salome Loera, Adam Liebler, Mary Kauffman, Elhum Shamshiri, Lillian Reynolds, Barbara Donegan, Shirley Ramsey, Doreen Marquis, Ken Kwartler, Ginger Germani, Cary Doak, Kimberly Warren, Angie Fox, Kathryn Nichol, Sheila Rieser, Alicia Lugg, Jeff Elias, Kathie Kelly, Gina Henderson, Dawn Legg, June Walthall, Donna Broshek, Alycia Winter, Rashell Younger, Liam Winters, John and Patricia Smith, Charles and Lou Ann Belvin, Bank of America, Carol Thompson, Janice Tokarsky, Erica Wolfe, Rhiannon Maxton, Lola Shank, Pat McClellan, Donna Applebee, Jeremy Ingram, Melinda Monet, Laura Ford, Jason Rush, Joey Jarvis, Bryant Clarke, Sean Plunkett, Rhonda Deputy, Janet Lynn, Doris Freund, Amy Kritzman, Debbee Kiel, Holly Schrank, Dale Chimerofsky, Jim Fry, Randall Anthony, Owen Thompson, Michelle Eddy, Nancy McMicken, Robert Sillmon Jr., Frank Santa, Colin William, Rosalba Rosario, Theodore Stout, Shannon Reardon, Cathy Padgett, Wendy Dee, Nancy Cundiff, Rhoda Ballantyne, Tyler Hawkins, Amanda Faith, Maggie Shanley, Kim Flanders, Deanna Reger, Gmen RC, Russ Brickey, Alice Huggins, Marianne Bowen, Tami Phoenix, Steve Heller, Margaret Brooke, Alejandro Mattiuzzo, Amie Knapp, April Marshall, Erin Dudley, Katie Zimmerman, Laura Lay, Susan Cohen, Heather Davis, Elizabeth Marie, Shannon Martin, Alejandro Mattiuzzo, Michael Siefring, Sandra and Lynwood Hutchens, Carlton and Sharon Brydge, Jamie Swann, Brielle Parker, Sherry Buenaventura, Julie Mick, Leesa Gauthier, Malinda Hargrove-Miller, Richard Rencher, Devonee Shearer, Anonymous