Family mark awareness day by lighting up tower

Epilepsy Awareness Day was marked on Sunday with the help of the Canning family and the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth Councillor David Fuller and Mayoress Leza Tremorin.

Wayne and Crystal Canning’s son Rory, two, lives with the condition.

The family, from Portsmouth, were the guests of honour at the lighting ceremony at the Gunwharf Quays landmark.

The event was organised by national charity Young Epilepsy which has supported Rory since his diagnosis.

Wayne, who works in the Historic Dockyard’s Action Stations activity centre, said: ‘This was a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of a condition which affects 112,000 children and young people in the UK.

‘We hope that lighting up the tower for Purple Day shines a light on an illness which just doesn’t get the attention it deserves, he added’

Wayne and Crystal, along with their other children Lacie Louise, Harvey and Bradley work hard to raise funds for Young Epilepsy in their area.

They were joined in the tower’s viewing platform by Cllr Fuller, and Ms Tremorin.

Young Epilepsy regional fundraiser Carol Hunt, said: ‘We’re grateful to the people who run the Spinnaker Tower for letting us light it up in the colour purple – epilepsy’s own colour.

‘It is so important to us, as a charity, that more people get to understand the day-to- day difficulties that epilepsy can bring to the young people with the illness and their families.’

If you would like to make a donation to Purple Day, text PURP17 to 70070 or call the fundraising team on 01342 831245.

Alternatively, go to youngepilepsy.org.uk.

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