Mentor City Council passed Resolution 25-R-116 during their October 7, 2025, meeting recognizing the month of October as SUDEP Awareness Month.
SUDEP is the sudden, unexpected death of someone with epilepsy, who was otherwise healthy. In SUDEP cases, no other cause of death is found when an autopsy is done. Each year, more than 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP. This is the leading cause of death in people with uncontrolled seizures.
When a patient is properly informed about SUDEP, they can take steps to mitigate the risk of it occurring. These steps include taking anti-epileptic medications, prioritizing sleep, keeping regular doctor visits, avoiding alcohol and recreational drugs, identifying and avoiding seizure triggers, and utilizing seizure detection and alert devices.
Learn more about SUDEP on the Epilepsy Foundation website: https://www.epilepsy.com/complications-risks/early-death-sudep