Akanksha Patankar Mirji

Team

About Me

Hi,

I'm Akanksha Patankar Mirji, Epilepsy Warrior. A late starter in the world of Epilepsy, my tryst with Epilepsy began during my 1st pregnancy over 14 years ago. Yes! Even pregnancies can lead to epilepsy as it is a chronic illness that can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Does that mean that we should stop having kids and having families? NO!

Today I have 2 kids who make us super proud. My latest tryst with the world of neurology was when my husband suddenly fell unconscious on 27th August 2025. He had to undergo an emergency surgery for a brain aneurysm on 28th August 2025, that nobody even knew existed, making me an even greater believer in the fact that there is a major need for focus on neurological wellness. A lot of people have been asking me how I avoided having a seizure despite so much stress. It's called resilience, and most epilepsy warriors have that quality within them.

A 48-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 have run my first ever Half Marathon at TMM 2025. I shall be running the Half Marathon at TMM 2026, too.

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 both my kids participating in the Dream Run at TMM 2026. They are also my caregivers, and will be running for the same cause.

I look forward to receiving your support in order to be the change in the lives of other Persons With Epilepsy as many are not even entitled to Disability and do not get Health Insurance. Help us live our lives with equality, dignity and inclusion.

Appeal

Last year the donations to my page added up to an approximate figure of Rs 80,000. That helped 9 Persons with Epilepsy (PWEs) in Rural areas to get medication for the entire year. Request you to be a little more generous this year to assist people who cannot afford enough medication for seizures to lead normal lives.

Afterall, Epilepsy is now the 3rd largest neurological disorder in the world. Over 50 million (5 crore) persons across the globe, and over 12 million (1.2 crore) 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. It is something that can happen to anyone, anywhere at anytime in life.

The cost of Healthcare that includes tests, surgeries, and even, daily medication is extremely high, and can cost lakhs/ crores of Rupees every year. This can also prevent many, especially persons from rural areas from getting basic medication.

Samman is an NGO, that is the Mumbai Chapter of the Indian Epilepsy Association (IEA) a division of the International Bureau of Epilepsy (IBE). Funds donated to Samman shall be utilized effectively to
1. Create Epilepsy Awareness through campaigns and various educational initiatives
2. Rural medical camps where patients are provided free check-ups & medication at zero or nominal prices
3.Creating job-ready Persons With Epilepsy (PWE's),
4. Managing India's largest Epilepsy Support group,
and much more.

Samman does a lot of work to Raise Awareness about Epilepsy and to Stamp Out the Stigma associated with it. Amongst the many activities, a path-breaking one was organising India's 1st ever timed run for Epilepsy Awareness known as the Jiyo Samman Se run, and I'm thrilled to have been partnof the organising team for that run in March 2025 at Mumbai.

I run for SAMMAN (the name means respect!) Donate generously to help PWE's gain access to healthcare, and to assist in creating a more empathetic approach to Epilepsy! Any amount can help support a person and save a life. Donations made to me last year totalling to Rs. 80,000 assisted in the medication of atleast 2 persons from a rural area for the entire year. Help Samman through donating to me in order to help treat more persons through your donations. Help control more seizures and save more lives.

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