ESNJ_868x432

[email protected]

Donate
ESNJ_868x432

[email protected]

Donate

Epilepsy Couples Retreat | Registration

Event Details

Event Date + Time
May 30, 2026 | 9am-7pm

Location
Asbury Park, New Jersey

Contact
Olivia Gordon
Director of Public Health Programs 

Make a Call
Send an Email
Sponsor support makes this retreat free to attend. Due to limited capacity, registration will be required, with confirmation provided after submission.

Navigating Us: A Relationship Retreat for Couples Living with Epilepsy

When one partner lives with epilepsy, daily life and relationships can shift. Roles, routines, and how you show up for each other often change. Creating space to focus on your relationship matters.

Join us on May 30, 2026 in Asbury Park, NJ for Navigating Us, a one day retreat designed for couples living with epilepsy. Set along the shore, this spring gathering offers the opportunity to step away from the everyday and dedicate time to what matters most: strengthening your connection and building a shared vision for the future.

What to expect
Couples will engage in guided conversations, gain practical tools, and connect with others who understand the unique challenges of living with epilepsy. The retreat centers the relationship, not just the diagnosis, and creates an environment of support, learning, and growth.

Who is eligible to participate?

  • Epilepsy Services of New Jersey is recruiting child-caregiver pairs with children between ages 4-12 years of age
  • Child must have confirmed Childhood Absence Epilepsy
  • See participant criteria for more information

Eligibility Criteria:

For children with Childhood Absence Epilepsy

  • Seizure Onset: Between 4-12
  • Absence seizures: Multiple per day at onset
  • Abrupt Onset and Offset:
    • No Aura: The child has no warning before the seizure.
    • No Post-Ictal State: There is no confusion or drowsiness afterward; the child resumes activity immediately. This distinguishes CAE from Focal Impaired Awareness seizures (which usually cause post-seizure confusion).
  • Brief Duration: Events are very short, typically lasting 5 to 30 seconds
  • Typical Development: Children with CAE typically have normal neurological and cognitive development, distinguishing it from epileptic encephalopathies like Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome.

For children without Childhood Absence Epilepsy: We are looking for caregivers of children age 4-12 with minimal exposure to epilepsy (avoiding children with sibling with epilepsy for example).

This study involves periods of hyperventilation (rapid deep breathing). Children with contraindications for hyperventilation are not eligible for this study.

Hyperventilation (HV) Contraindications:

  • Sickle Cell Disease/Trait: High risk of inducing a sickle cell crisis or stroke.
  • Moyamoya Disease: Risk of ischemic stroke due to constriction of already fragile vessels.
  • Recent Stroke or TIA: Any history of stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack within the last 12 months.
  • Intracranial Hemorrhage: Recent bleeding within the skull (e.g., subarachnoid hemorrhage).
  • Severe Cardiopulmonary Disease: Recent heart attack, unstable angina, or severe lung disease requiring oxygen.
  • Pregnancy: To avoid potential fetal distress (often avoided entirely).
  • Uncontrolled Hypertension: Severe high blood pressure.
  • Severe Asthma: Risk of triggering an attack due to rapid, dry breathing.