Awareness Programs
The Matty Fund® is committed to raising epilepsy awareness to encourage a happy, safe and inclusive environment for children living with epilepsy. Programs have been designed to encourage a welcoming and safe school environment for children of all ages.
Matty Hatty Pre-School and Elementary School Educational Program
Debra and Richard Siravo wrote and published a children’s book, “My Friend Matty – A Story About Living with Epilepsy”, an uplifting story about a proud, young boy who shares his medical condition with friends, classmates and his teacher. This book is the focus of the Matty Fund’s® epilepsy awareness program called ‘Matty Hatty” delivered at elementary schools throughout Rhode Island.
The Matty Hatty Dance-A-Thon is an epilepsy awareness program created by the Matty Fund for elementary and preschools. The goal of Matty Hatty is to eliminate the social stigma associated with this disease and teach seizure protocols to children at an early age.
Click Here to view/print the Matty Hatty Elementary School Forms
Click Here to view/print the Matty Hatty Pre-School Forms
Contact The Matty Fund® if you would like more information about bringing this epilepsy awareness/educational program to your child’s school!
Rhody’s Got Talent and Epilepsy Awareness at the University of Rhode Island
Each year the URI College of Business and the Feinstein Center for Service Learning helps the Matty Fund to coordinate a campus wide Epilepsy Awareness Program on the University’s Kingston Campus. Hundreds of students help to collect donations and spread awareness by wearing purple and participating in or attending the Rhody’s Got Talent student talent show.
Annual Matthew Siravo Memorial Lectureship
Since 2005, the Matty Fund®, in conjunction with Hasbro Children’s Hospital and Brown University Medical School present the annual Matthew Siravo Memorial Visiting Professor Lecture in Child Neurology. Guest lecturers from around the country speak to members of the Rhode Island medical community on a variety of topics related to research and advances in Child Neurology. Speakers are sought out to bring a unique topic and humanistic perspective to those specializing in the field of Child Neurology.