Kids raise epilepsy awareness with lemonade stand

Several kids who operated a lemonade stand last week on Victor II Boulevard in Morgan City helped turn the country purple, figuratively, while raising money and awareness for people with epilepsy.

On July 27, Morgan City was the location of the state’s first and only Epilepsy Foundation’s Lemonade for Livy lemonade stand at Lee’s Car Wash, Morgan City native Margaret Chase said in an email.

She and her husband, Chris Chase, also a Morgan City native, now live in Huntley, Illinois. Their daughter, Larkin, 3, was diagnosed with epilepsy in October 2017 after having her first series of seizures Aug. 14, 2017.

One in 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy, a condition that causes seizures, at some point in their lives, according to the Epilepsy Foundation’s website.

The couple brought Larkin, and their other two children, Parker and Bishop, to Morgan City last week to sell lemonade as part of Lemonade for Livy, which raises epilepsy awareness and supports the Epilepsy Foundation’s work to stop seizures, find cures, and save lives through lemonade stands and parties, the Epilepsy Foundation’s website says. The Chases’ cousin, Violet Busse of Morgan City, also participated.

Louisiana was the final state in the country to host a lemonade stand as part of Lemonade for Livy, and thus turned the country purple, the color that represents epilepsy awareness, Margaret Chase said.

The Morgan City lemonade stand was operated by the Chase children and their cousin as Team Lou Bird Kids, part of the Epilepsy Foundation Kids Crew. All of the kids helped spread awareness and raise funds for epilepsy.

Margaret and Chris Chase also founded Lou Bird Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides awareness and raises funds for McHenry County, Illinois, residents living with epilepsy. The charity pays for epilepsy medications and transportation for people who can’t afford those costs.

The name Lou Bird stems from Larkin’s nickname as siblings affectionately call her, ‘Lou,’ and she was born two weeks early, deeming her the family’s early bird, the foundation’s website says.

Larkin’s parents also plan to start McHenry County’s first epilepsy 5k with her as the inspiration.

For more information on Lou Bird Foundation, visit loubird.org. To learn more about epilepsy, Lemonade for Livy and to donate, visit epilepsyfoundation.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&participantID=15147