This program has done so much for me when it comes to self esteem and feeling like I belong. It made me feel like I had the support of people that actually understand what I’m going through which means so much to me. I’m so proud to have been chosen to represent this program in such a way and I thank the organization for this award which will help me greatly when it comes to paying for college. I cant say Thank you enough!
I was diagnosed with Epilepsy 10 years ago and the Epilepsy Services Foundation has been very helpful and supportive for myself and my family over the years. Everyone that I have met who is part of the foundation has been encouraging and continuously uplifting whenever I am feeling alone and segregated because of this disorder.
Thank you Epilepsy Services Foundation for everything!!
Excellent resource provider for families with epilepsy. When our daughter was initially diagnosed with a seizure condition, Epilepsy Services Foundation has provided us valuable tools and support. 6 years later and we still have been in touch with the organization. The previous president Tom Orth and current executive director Kathie Michael has grown to be part of our daughter's journey and made us feel welcomed. This year in 2024 was the first time she attended the epilepsy camp. We were pleased with the care that was provided with all the staff members to include the counselors. There are other functions available for both families and the children such as christmas lunches, the outdoor walks and trips to facilities such as the local zoo and aquarium.
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We did not understand how epilepsy would have impacted our family until our young daughter was diagnosed with it. The Epilepsy Services Foundation has been a valuable resource for our family with the support from Tom Orth who has kept in touch after a few years from the first day we have met him at the local children's hospital in Tampa. Although he has retired, he still remains active in the community and continues to provide us with support. We have been recently in touch with Lou Garcia who also has been helpful with assisting us in the process of obtaining a needed remote 23 hour EEG monitoring for our daughter. We recommend anybody who has epilepsy or a loved one with the condition to seek assistance with an experienced neurologist and to give the Epilepsy Services Foundation the opportunity to provide support and guidance to those in need. We did not know how important it is to have additional resources and guidance with managing epilepsy until we have discovered the professional services that the Epilepsy Foundation has provided for us. It was to our surprise that our daughter was one of the recent winners for a scholarship award from a poster contest that she had created on her own. If the information was not provided to us by Tom, we would not have known that there was a contest at all. He has also stayed in touch with us over the past few years to see how our daughter has been doing with her condition and how we have been during the entire process from the day we met him at the hospital and through the pandemic. The Epilepsy Services Foundation should continue to employ such valuable members to serve those dealing with epilepsy. We are happy that we have this organization to turn to for guidance and support. Epilepsy is such a complex disorder and it is very nice to know that we can turn to this organization for additional support should there be any doubt about the care for managing the condition.
Esf has been so welcoming and helpful from the first moment I reached out. They have welcome not only my son with epilepsy but our whole family. We have enjoyed the family event were we got to know other families and their stories and the fact we weren’t alone during all of this which help a lot. The parent meeting have been very helpful from having different speakers to just being able to talk to our parents going thru the same thing and in a non judgmental environment.
One positive thing that has come out of my son having epilepsy has been finding this group.
Super Awesome Team of Loving & Caring People that Exceed All Spectations All Around They Do with Disable Kids, Youth, Teenagers, Young Adults & NON So Young Adults . My Family had Been a Member for 10 Years & THEY Had Gone Above & Beyond Since Day 1. GOD BLESS ALWAYS ESF of TAMPA.
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Super Nice People willing to Help Your Family in any Way or Form. They try the best way to make any situation go better and have a nice & good ending. We are Super Appreciated for ESF Employees, Staff & Board of Directors for Everything They Do so Kind & Professional that You feel like they are part of Your Family. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. Take Care. GOD BLESS ALWAYS !!!!
I have been dealing with non profit neurology accounts for over 15 years, everyone with Epilepsy Service Foundation is extremely passionate with what they do and how can they help the patients and caregivers. They have so many resources at their fingertips to help in a variety of ways.
And this foundation is rare because it deals mainly with children and young adults with epilepsy.
Please take advantage of Epilepsy Service Foundation with all the knowledge, experience, and resources.
The Epilepsy Services Foundation here in Tampa has been a lifesaver for our family. Once we met Tom, our problems dealing with our son Brandon's epilepsy became much easier to solve. We had been struggling almost 17 years alone, and the older Brandon got, the tougher the challenges. Also, at the Retreat we met many others with similar problems and was able to offer our experiences , helping them. Tom is a great and knowledgeable man.
Tom is amazing to work with! He is kind, compassionate, and a genuinely nice person. I can't say enough good things about him and this organization.
This organization is great. They look out for their people and they help us when we're in need . Tom is a great founder and he really makes sure that he knows who is involved in what and he doesn't just see us as a number . He really truly cares for us .
My experience with ESF has been an incredible journey so far. We live in Orlando where there is not a whole lot of Epilepsy-support resources as there are in Tampa, so we really appreciated being accepted at ESF-Tampa the way that we have been. Tom Orth has provided us with a wealth of information to be able to help our 14-year-old as much as possible. We have attended fundraisers, seminars and will be attending the Family Retreat at the end of April that we are so looking forward to, and have Tom and Sande Van Hook to thank for all their help in offering up these options for us, and our family. Thank you !
Wonderful organization. I've seen first hand all the help it's provided to a close friend who lost her son to epilepsy.
I've had the opportunity to observe Epilepsy Services Foundation as a part of their partnership with the Tampa local of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA-Tampa) through our joint efforts together on a golf tournament.
Epilepsy Services Foundation provides a tremendous value and service to those suffering from Epilepsy or are a family member caring for those with Epilepsy. The work they do makes it easier for this group to have one week where they can be "normal." Epilepsy is becoming more and more common, and for an organization like Epilepsy Services Foundation their work is needed throughout our community.
Thank you to Epilepsy Services Foundation for making our community a better place!!
I cannot speak highly enough about this organization and the services its Board, Executive Director, volunteers, and supporters provide for the community and, particularly, persons effected by epilepsy and their loved ones. ESF's dedication to educating and growing awareness in the community about the challenges of epilepsy is unmatched. The love and outreach ESF's members give to individuals who deal with epilepsy, and the support shown to their families, is constant. ESF's programs and fundraising activities have bettered so many lives. I am a former board member and volunteer, and now just a fan. I feel blessed and grateful to have been involved in such a laudable non-profit organization.
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I have never worked with a more caring and dedicated group of people who desire only to help individuals affected by epilepsy, whether directly or indirectly through their loved ones. My participation with ESF began by virtue of the fact that my employer, Fowler White Boggs P.A., has been a long time sponsor and supporter of this organization. However, even if I did not have professional ties to ESF, I would gladly volunteer to assist this non-profit, which is comprised of giving and selfless individuals who make this world a better place on a daily basis. Unlike well-known national non-profit organizations, ESF is striving to expand through grass root connections and local/regional awareness with the ultimate goal of providing a wider range of support, assistance, and educational services. In my brief time volunteering with ESF, I have seen the efforts of its volunteers deeply touch the lives of children and adults who are affected one way or the other by epilepsy. Dedicating my time to this organization has been nothing but a pleasure. Please support our cause!
This is a fantastic organization that serves to raise awareness about epilepsy, assist those affected by epilepsy, and simply rallies the entire community together. All the members in this association are so passionate for this cause, it's inspiring! Great work, keep it up!
-Matt C.
It was a great experience. Everyone seemed really happy to be there, the ceremony didn't take up much time, and along with the scholarships, the epilepsy services foundation even payed for our dinners. Several people showed up dressed professionally. I don't have any complaints. It was a great ceremony.
I was referred to esf by another parent and I am so happy with the resource. I explained my son, 23, needed to find a support group. He said he knew there was a need and a year later, we have a group of 12 that keeps growing. We have met so many wonderful, supportive people through esf!
I can begin to tell you how hard it is to believe that someone one in your family has epilepsy and really not even know what it is amongst all the other tragedies that are out there. Until my wife and I got the number of the ESF foundation of Tampa Bay and our granddaughter lives in Missouri, but Tom Orth, Sandy VanHook have been the wealth of knowledge and support anyone could have. They have provided us with more info and ideas and just general knowledge that has helps us help our kids help our granddaughter, we can say enough about them. They are always will to do whatever, even if its just to listen.
Jeff Burke
My Granddaughter was recently diagnosed with Epilepsy and I contact Tom @ ESF and he and his staff have given me so much of their time to help me understand what my son is facing and what my granddaughter is up against. They have been sounding board, they even met with my son & his family while they were visiting and gave them so much information that not even there doctor had shared with them.
My son was diagnosed with epilepsy at birth he started having seizures 7 hours after he was born he is now 3 years old. This is such an amazing group of people who go above and beyond for other.
The epilepsy foundation has made a huge impact on my family. Four years ago I lost my brother who had epilepsy and because of this wonderful foundation we are able to send children who have epilepsy to camp every summer in my brothers' name. Tom Orth has been in contact with my mom since the beginning. He helped my parents get through so much. We appreciate everything he has done for my whole family.
Once I had received an initial diagnosis of Epilepsy from the USF Department of Neurology, I was lost. I had attempted on several occasions to find support on my own, but unfortunately without success. There were several reasons for this, inclusive of an inability to connect with patients like myself: adults who were suffering from epilepsy. Many of the epilepsy patients I originally met were children, under the age of 18, many suffering from Grand Mal seizures and in the care of parents. I, unfortunately, could not connect with them, their problems relating to the type of seizure I suffer from, as well as the social issues attached to it. The Epilepsy Services Foundation offered a viewpoint I had not seen before. It took a one on one approach to me, asking questions, both about my medical problems and issues as well as my personal life and social struggles. They proceeded to connect me with several doctors who took me in, and directed a "fix it" approach to my illness. In addition, Epilepsy Services Foundation also connected me with several support groups, and proceeded to keep me informed on a regular basis in regards to informative seminars and events throughout the Tampa Bay area. It has now been 8 years, and several surgeries later. I am unfortunately still a seizure patient. However, I am also still being kept up to date on changes in the area regarding informational events, seminars and socials that allow me to learn, grow and connect with professionals as well as patients like myself. Epilepsy Services Foundation is an excellent program from my perspective: that of a seizure patient. I am glad for, and appreciative of, the opportunities they continue to present to me.