Epilepsy Awareness and Scholarships

Kayla Ross is the youngest of three children born to the union of Bernard and Edana Perry, Her two siblings are Taelor Necolle and Christian Bernard. At the age of eleven Kayla was diagnosed with Juvenile-Myoclonic Epilepsy(JME), triggered by lack of sleep. Kayla and her family were set on ensuring that her life was not defined by the disease. Her story is far more than that of a fight against epilepsy. Kayla’s story, her song, is about love, faith, immeasurable strength, resilience, and defiance. Kayla’s song is a song of “in spite of” and no!

Growing up, Kayla sang in the children’s choir, she danced, tumbled, and played soccer. Kayla was an active member of the youth and young adult ministry at her church, there she also soared with the dance ministry, was a member of the Impact Teen Praise Team and sang in the Jr. Voices of Calvary youth choir. Kayla sang in the Washington Performing Arts - Children of the Gospel choir where she had the opportunity to sing with the choir for President Obama in 2009. Kayla was a singer, her whole life was a song.

Kayla’s love for music and her beautiful voice was one of the divine seeds planted within her being. Her voice was inspired by the music she loved; jazz, r&b, neo-soul, and gospel. She saw the world through music, from the melodies of soul to the rhythm of gogo, top 40, dance and trap music.

As a young woman, Kayla graduated from Montgomery College with her Associate's Degree. In March of 2017, she landed a position with HCD International as a Community Outreach Representative. She soon emerged as a leader among her colleagues, all while pursuing a certification in project management.

Kayla was stubborn, she was committed to living life on her terms, even if that meant bumping heads with the people she loved the most, her family. Kayla loved her family with everything in her.

We are committed to continuing Kayla’s legacy of strength, resilience, defiance, and deep love. On July 6, 2017, at the vibrant age of 26 years old, Kayla passed away suddenly from complications associated with Epilepsy-  SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death from Epilepsy).  

Her transition has been difficult for her family, friends and village.  Kayla touched many lives and her family has decided to celebrate her life, pay it forward and give back to the community. Her family wants to encourage others to never give up despite life's challenges!

The KRP Memorial Scholarship was established at Greater MT.Calvary Holy Church in 2017 to honor the life and legacy of Kayla Ross Perry and to provide funding for college student(s) who pursue the creative arts.  In August 2018, the first scholarship was awarded to Darin Bess. In July 2019, the next scholarship was awarded to Joelle Green. #kaylastrong

 What is Epilepsy? 

• Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder and affects people of all ages.
• Epilepsy means the same thing as "seizure disorders."
• Epilepsy is characterized by unpredictable seizures and can cause other health problems.
• Epilepsy is a spectrum condition with a wide range of seizure types and control varying from person-to-person.
• Public misunderstandings of epilepsy cause challenges that are often worse than the seizures.

Statistics on Epilepsy

• 65 MILLION: Number of people around the world who have epilepsy.
• 3.4 MILLION: Number of people in the United States who have epilepsy.
• 470,000: Number of children in the United States who have epilepsy.
• 1 IN 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime.

What is SUDEP?

SUDEP is the sudden, unexpected death of someone with epilepsy, who was otherwise healthy. In SUDEP cases, no other cause of death is found when an autopsy is done. Each year, about 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP. This is the leading cause of death in people with uncontrolled seizures.  For more information click on the links below.

https://www.epilepsy.com/learn 

https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/healthy-living 

https://www.epilepsy.com/make-difference/public-awareness/aimforzero-striving-toward-future-free-sudden-unexpected-death 

http://knowsudepnow.org/

https://www.epilepsy.com/sites/core/files/atoms/files/SUDEP%20Institute%20Brochure%20Rev%2011-2018.pdf

https://www.epilepsy.com/sites/core/files/atoms/files/SUDEP_knowledgeispower_8.5x11_v4%204-2019.pdf

Get help with managing your epilepsy, click on this link  https://www.epilepsy.com/node/2000168 

24/7 support from the Epilepsy Foundation   

https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/247-helpline