Each puzzle piece brings us closer to our goal of funding more Epilepsy Nurses on the front line.

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How It Works

Purchase Your Puzzle Piece

Simply select a puzzle piece from the above puzzle and make a donation of your choice to own your very own piece of the puzzle. You will be able to write your own personal message of support.

Create Your Fundraising Page

If you would like to help us share the puzzle with your community, simply click on the SIGN UP button above and you will be guided through how to set up your own fundraising page that you can personalise with your own personal story.

Share with Friends

Select a shareable resource and share with your community via social, email or by hanging a poster in your workplace or community organisation. Friends, family and colleagues can then purchase a puzzle piece and write a personal message of support.

Help Fund A Nurse

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions affecting around 250,000 Australians. It is more common than Parkinson’s, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy combined, but it is still widely and shockingly misunderstood.

Epilepsy Action Australia has supported people affected by epilepsy for 70 years and we desperately need more specialist Epilepsy Nurses on the front line. To help fund a nurse, buy a piece of the Maximillion Bear Puzzle! You can also register your very own fundraising page to share the puzzle with your family, colleagues and friends.

Find out more below about the story of Maximillion and the urgent and critical work of our Epilepsy Nurses. Thank you so much for your support.

Hear from our favourite Purple Wiggle, Lachy

WHY WE NEED MORE NURSES

When epilepsy affects someone that we love, it’s hard. We feel a sense of fear and anxiety and our worlds are turned upside down. It may take weeks or even months to see an appropriate specialist, leaving and many individuals and families simply unsure of where to turn.

Our Epilepsy Nurses are always there on the front-line, offering support to every Australian affected by this debilitating condition, even those in the most remote locations. From the very first seizure through to investigation, diagnosis, and treatment, they are there, willing ready to stand beside the families and make every step of the pathway easier.

With specialized knowledge, deep empathy and understanding, our Epilepsy Nurses offer a lifeline to those families and individuals through information, advocacy, education and support and support. They take the time to understand the need, discover ways to prevent or manage seizures, and build a bond where they can discuss even the most challenging of subjects.

The support and guidance provided by our trained, caring and supportive Epilepsy Nurses is critical to ensuring that every Australian living with epilepsy has the chance opportunity to live a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life.

Please help us fund more nurses, as every person living with epilepsy deserves to have a trained Epilepsy Nurse in their corner in their deepest time of need.

Meet Some of our Nurses

Jane

It is truly rewarding to help people move forward, especially when they have psychological issues to work through. I also take great pride in developing resources that make a real difference to the misunderstanding around epilepsy.

Tina

As a Clinical Nurse Consultant in Paediatric Epilepsy, it’s a privilege to use my clinical skills and evidence-based information to provide holistic care and to educate, support and empower children and their families.

Jodie

The diagnosis of epilepsy can be a terrifying and uncertain time. Sometimes it’s just knowing there is someone to reach out to, who understands, and can really make a difference.

Lorraine

I offer immediate support for people with epilepsy, and families, as they come to terms with a new diagnosis. Epilepsy Nurses play a pivotal part in their journey, from diagnosis and treatment to daily life and living with a long-term condition.

Help Children Like Kobe

When Kobe was just four and a half months old, he developed life-threatening seizures that saw him go in and out of hospital searching for a diagnosis. His mother, Sarah remembers. “We were gobsmacked and speechless when the neurologist told us Kobe had Dravet syndrome, a condition that sees 20% of children not making it out of adolescence”. The neurologist also explained that there was an 80% chance of Kobe having a developmental delay due to the impact of his seizures. An Epilepsy Action nurse provided the family with advice and guidance on practical strategies and equipment needed to minimise risk for Kobe, particularly at night, a dangerous time for him. Special equipment now monitors him when he sleeps and alerts the family to changes in his body temperature or heart rate that comes with having seizures. Sarah says “We’re trying to minimise the risks for Kobe so he can develop as best he can. He’s doing alright at the moment. But one seizure could change that.”

“Seeing an ambulance officer pick up your baby who is floppy and lifeless and just dribbling everywhere – I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.”

Help Someone Like Ellee-Rose

Ellee-Rose is 18 years old and lives with asymptomatic seizures that are often misunderstood. For her family, having her needs acknowledged has been an exhausting and heartbreaking battle. Even when her seizures see Ellee-Rose being rushed to hospital, unless there is a trained neurologist on duty at the time, doctors and nurses are often unaware of the most effective treatment to keep her safe. Her mother, Melissa says “Knowing our trained epilepsy nurse is there to support us and understand what we are going through is amazing. They are an incredible support that I have used so many times. They have been to Ellee-Rose’s school to do information sessions for the teachers, discussed her treatment with doctors and nurses and are there any time I need questions answered. They go above and beyond to help in any way they can."

“Epilepsy Action is not just a company. It is family to me. I know whenever I need anything the team are a phone call away and will always do their best to help me. They are the most caring, helpful people I’ve ever had to deal with."

Where It All Began

In 2019 Alex Wadelton was out to dinner with his family when he experienced what he calls the worst meal of his life! His daughter, Lila, had what is known as a tonic-clonic seizure and the next few months saw her having forty or fifty seizures a day.

Lila embraced her diagnosis and organised a Purple Day at her school to raise awareness of epilepsy, but when Covid hit Purple Day was cancelled and Alex decided to do something.

He remembered the Ted-E Bear that Lila was sent by Epilepsy Action Australia, and he created his very own bear called Maximillion, the Million Dollar Teddy Bear. Dressed by 2019 Melbourne Fashion Festival National Designer of the Year, Christian Kimber (whose brother has epilepsy) he put out a call to all billionaires in the hope that one of them would buy Maximillion for one million dollars to help the 250,000 Australians living with epilepsy. Sadly, a billionaire could not be found, so we are turning to the other 99% of Australians to Share in the Bear, because if there’s anything Australians are good at, it’s pulling together and helping those in need.

Maximillion's Journey So Far

Maximillion has met so many wonderful people on his journey to raise $1 million for the 250,000 Australians living with epilepsy. Meet some of his friends..