Akanksha Patankar Mirji

Team

About Me

Hi,

I'm Akanksha Patankar Mirji, Epilepsy Warrior, Storytelling Coach, Educator & Facilitator with over 26 years work experience in the corporate sector. I'm an empowered Person with Epilepsy (PWE) with a zest for life and love for empowerment of others.

A late starter in the world of Epilepsy, my tryst with Epilepsy began during my 1st pregnancy. Today I have 2 pre-teens with a zest for life. A 46-year young Epilepsy Warrior, I began my journey in the field of running through Samman, with the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) 2023. It was the Dream Run. At TMM 2024, I finished the 10k run, and am truly thrilled to be running my first ever Half Marathon at TMM 2025.

Why have I been doing this?
I believe that we should, 'Be the change, we want to see.' I want to show everyone that even a Person with Epilepsy can achieve goals through endurance. I'm an Epilepsy Warrior who runs to raise Epilepsy awareness and to Stamp out the Stigma related to Epilepsy.

And this year, I'm even more excited about my pre-teen son who shall become a teenager in November 2024, and shall be participating in the Dream Run at TMM 2025. I'm his mother, and he's one of my caregivers. He, too, will be running for Epilepsy Awareness & to Stamp out the Stigma.

I look forward to receiving your support in order to Be the change in the lives of other PWE's.

Appeal

Epilepsy is the 4th largest neurological disorder in the world. Millions of persons across the globe, and over 12 million in India, alone, are Persons With Epilepsy (PWE). Despite that, many people are not even aware about what 'Epilepsy' is or how to manage it effectively. Of the many that are aware, most have various stigmas associated with Epilepsy. The cost of Healthcare that includes tests, surgeries, and even, daily medication is extremely high, and can cost thousands of dollars or lakhs/ crores of Rupees every year. This can also prevent many from getting basic medication.

Samman is an NGO that is part of the Indian Epilepsy Association, a division of the International Bureau of Epilepsy. Funds donated to Samman shall be utilized effectively to Create Epilepsy Awareness through campaigns and various educational initiatives, rural medical camps where patients are provided free check-ups & medication at zero or nominal prices, creating job-ready PWE's, support groups and much more.

I run to raise Awareness about Epilepsy and to Stamp Out the Stigma associated with it. I run for SAMMAN (the name means respect!) Donate generously to empower me in order to help PWE's gain access to healthcare, and to assist in creating a more empathetic approach to Epilepsy!

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