When Epilepsy Hits Close to Home...

Right before the dancers began, emcee and Medill junior Todd Johnson asked for people dancing who knew someone with epilepsy to raise their hands. At least a third of the crowd did.

Erin Parker was one of them. Her aunt, Kathy McNamera — the twin sister of her mother — has epilepsy.

"She's really close to me," said Parker, a McCormick freshman. "It's definitely one of the reasons I decided to dance here."

Parker said she doesn't know what to expect in these first few hours of Dance Marathon or how she will hold up. But she said her aunt — and her friends — are good motivators.

"It's rough, but it's worth it," she said.

Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern