It has been two years since Butler resident Molly Calvert died of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, or SUDEP, but her name is now forever in the annals of Butler County history thanks to a proclamation by the Butler County Commissioners.

The Commissioners issued the proclamation at their meeting on Wednesday, May 7, declaring May 8 an awareness day for the complication. Then, on Thursday, Vintage Coffeehouse, a coffee shop in Butler, hosted a fundraising event with proceeds going to a charity scholarship in her honor.

Calvert worked as a nurse, and was a swim instructor at Alameda Waterpark, so the recent efforts made to raise awareness of the complication that caused her death may be the perfect way to honor the memory of the health care professional.

Molly Calvert’s sister, Maggie Calvert, said other people who have lost friends or family members to SUDEP have all said the same thing: They didn’t know what the condition was before they lost that person. It’s possible Molly Calvert had heard of it prior to her death through her work as a nurse, but the Epilepsy Foundation says no one is sure about the cause of death in SUDEP, and it may differ between cases.

Some researchers believe a seizure causes an irregular heart rhythm. Other research shows breathing difficulties following a seizure lead to death, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.

Until further answers are available, the best way to prevent this condition is to lower your risk by controlling seizures. Research has found that people with all types of epilepsy who experience convulsive seizures can be at risk.

While Molly Calvert died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, hopefully the proclamation by the Commissioners and the fundraiser at Vintage Coffeehouse will help those at risk avoid the same fate.

— ET