FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Walk to Raise Funds for Epilepsy Research

Barbara Murphy’s 5-year-old daughter looks healthy and normal. But Carrie Anne,who has long, blond, curly hair, big green eyes and a pretty smile, has epilepsy. The girl suffers about 10 seizures a week.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Murphy, a mother of four.

There is no cure for Carrie Anne’s disorder, and Murphy said it cannot be controlled with medication.

Murphy, 38, can only hope that one day research will find a cure for her daughter’s condition.

To support epilepsy research and support programs, Murphy, Carrie Anne and her older brother and sister will be among hundreds of people at Mile Square Park who will participate in Sunday’s “5K Summer Stroll,” a benefit for the Epilepsy Foundation of Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the three-mile walk beginning at 8:30. The public is invited to participate in the fund-raiser.

Participants can either obtain pledges for their walk or make a donation, event officials said. Registration is $15. It includes a T-shirt and a chance for raffle prizes. The event will also feature music and food.

The summer stroll will also be held Sunday on the grounds of the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Los Angeles. The two events are expected to draw more than 600 people and raise more than $40,000, said Wendy Bowers, Epilepsy Foundation spokeswoman.

Bowers said the money raised will help the nearly 160,000 people in the two counties who suffer from epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a physical condition caused by sudden brief changes in how the brain works. When brain cells don’t work properly, an epileptic’s consciousness, movements or actions may be altered for a short time. Those physical changes are called seizures.

Murphy, who lives in San Clemente, said her daughter had her first seizure when she was 6 months old.

Ten days later, said Murphy, the girl had a second seizure that lasted 55 minutes. She was then diagnosed with epilepsy but doctors don’t know why she has seizures, which can be life-threatening, Murphy said.

Because her daughter’s epilepsy is not controllable through medication, Murphy said “she’s dependent on research.”