CONTACT:
Kelsey Robinette
Kovak-Likly Communications
203-762-8833, [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pictured at the 2015 National Walk for Epilepsy®:
Scott Hussey (Upsher-Smith); Ryan Priebe; Zayda
Priebe; Amanda Priebe; Maizee Priebe; Rusty Field
(Upsher-Smith)
LOCAL CHATFIELD FAMILY ATTENDS 2015 NATIONAL WALK
FOR EPILEPSY® IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
Maple Grove, MN – April 13, 2015 – Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. (Upsher-Smith), in
partnership with the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota (EFMN), today announced that the
Priebe family from Chatfield, MN was awarded a sponsorship to attend the Epilepsy
Foundation's National Walk for Epilepsy® in Washington, D.C. on April 11, 2015.
Zayda Priebe, a fifth grader from Chatfield, MN, experienced her first seizure the
summer before kindergarten, from complications associated with pertussis (whooping cough).
Fortunately for Zayda, she has healed and she has been seizure free for three years and
medication free for almost two. Nonetheless, she and her family are very familiar with the
challenges of living with epilepsy, including multiple medication failures, cognitive side effects
and simply the ongoing worry that a seizure may occur at a potentially inopportune or even
dangerous moment.
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-2Today, the Priebe family feel that Zayda is really coming into her own. She plays
basketball and volleyball, and also enjoys simply swimming with a friend – something she could
not have done without constant adult supervision a few years ago.
“Zayda was thrilled to be able to take part in the National Walk for Epilepsy and to visit
Washington, D.C. for the first time,” said Zayda’s mother, Amanda. “It was great for us and for
Zayda to meet people with epilepsy and to see examples of success. We just want to thank
Upsher-Smith for giving us this opportunity and for caring about people with epilepsy.”
About The Priebe Family
Zayda Priebe and her family live in the small town of Chatfield, MN, where she attends
Chatfield Elementary School. In addition to playing basketball and volleyball, Zayda and her
family have also been very involved in the epilepsy community, including many fundraising and
awareness activities.
Awareness has played a critical role in their own journey with epilepsy. When Zayda first
began having seizures, her parents didn’t know what was happening. The seizures lasted only
10-15 seconds, during which time Zayda would only seem momentarily unresponsive. One day
at school, however, she fell down in gym class and her teacher, who had a sibling with epilepsy,
recognized that Zayda was experiencing a seizure. The family immediately sought treatment.
The seizures began lasting longer, at times as long as two or three minutes.
During the years that Zayda was experiencing seizures, her parents always tried to “let
her be a kid” but also understood that they needed to impose certain limits to keep her safe.
She needed to be with an adult in the swimming pool at all times. She could not stay alone in
her house. Once she had a seizure at the top of the stairs in her home; fortunately, she was not
seriously harmed.
Zayda and her family also know the challenges surrounding epilepsy medication. Zayda
experienced multiple medication failures and sometimes had to take as many as 12-14 pills at a
time, due to her size, age and dosing requirements. The medications also made it more difficult
to retain the information she learned at school.
Now, in the fifth grade and seizure-free for three years, Zayda is making up for some of
the time and ground she lost to epilepsy, in terms of her academics, activities and social life. At
the same time, she has “really started to become more aware” of the disease and its impact on
her and so many others, says her mother. Along with another local family affected by epilepsy,
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-3the Priebe’s held a community fundraiser, complete with face painting, bean bag tosses and
other child-friendly activities, to support the EFMN. For the past several years, Zayda and her
family have also participated in the Foundation’s Stroll for Epilepsy. Her team, made up of
extended family and friends dressed in matching t-shirts, call themselves “Z-Power.”
Zayda and her immediate family, including her father, Ryan, and her younger sister,
Maizee were excited to have been able to bring some of that Minnesota Z-Power to the National
Walk for Epilepsy® in Washington D.C.
About The National Walk for Epilepsy®
The National Walk for Epilepsy® is a family-oriented, noncompetitive walk in our nation’s
capital to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for seizures and to overcome the challenges
created by epilepsy. The Walk helps to support services for people living with epilepsy,
awareness programs for proper seizure recognition and first aid, advocacy efforts to make sure
health care options for people living with seizures remain strong, and research toward better
treatment options and ultimately cures.
This year marks the ninth anniversary of the National Walk for Epilepsy® in Washington,
D.C. Each year, more than 5,000 people participate in the Walk in support of nearly three million
Americans who live with epilepsy every day, as well as their friends and loved ones. For more
information on the National Walk for Epilepsy®, visit: www.walkforepilepsy.org.
About The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota
The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota (EFMN) leads the fight to stop seizures, find a
cure and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy. One in 10 Americans will have a seizure
in their lifetime, and 60,000 Minnesotans have epilepsy, also known as a seizure disorder. This
is enough people to fill TCF Bank Stadium beyond its 50,000 seat capacity.
The Foundation’s programs and services cover all of Minnesota and Eastern North
Dakota. Those interested in any of its programs may contact Vicki Kopplin at 651-287-2314 or
via email at [email protected]. To learn more, please visit: www.epilepsyfoundationmn.org.
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About Upsher-Smith
Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc., founded in 1919, is a growing pharmaceutical company
dedicated to its mission of delivering high-value, high-quality therapies and solutions which
measurably improve individuals’ lives. As a part of this mission, the company supports activities
to help people live healthier and more productive lives. We strive to stand side-by-side with the
patients we serve by volunteering in local and national events such as the Stroll for Epilepsy in
Minnesota and the Epilepsy Foundation's annual National Walk for Epilepsy® in Washington,
DC. For more information, visit www.upsher-smith.com.
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