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North Olmsted proclaims October SUDEP Awareness Month as council pushes for state bill
Summary
Council adopted a proclamation recognizing October 2025 as SUDEP Awareness Month and Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones and Council President Lou Brossard said they will work with state lawmakers to encourage doctors to inform epilepsy patients about Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).
Council members on Oct. 7 unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing October 2025 as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Month in North Olmsted and heard presentations from local advocates urging more public education and medical disclosure.
Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones read the city proclamation, citing Ohio House Bill 731—known locally as Brenna’s Law—and designated Oct. 26, 2025, as SUDEP Awareness Day. "We encourage all residents to learn more, support families affected, and help raise awareness," the Mayor told the Council.
Council President Lou Brossard, whose family has led the local campaign, said he contacted municipal leaders across Northeast Ohio and secured commitments from 23 communities to mark the month. "We are bringing awareness around it because sadly about seven out of ten doctors choose not to inform their patients about SUDEP," Brossard said, urging transparency and training for coroners.
Patty Varanese, executive director of the Epilepsy Association (Cleveland), described the association's outreach and services and said SUDEP is undercounted because many coroners are not trained to identify it. "Current estimates say that 1 in 1,000 people, or 3,000 people every year, will die of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy," Varanese said, calling for wider public education and seizure-detection measures.
Cuyahoga County Councilman Pat Kelly presented a county-level proclamation and said early detection, medication adherence and seizure-detection devices can reduce risk. Brossard said he is coordinating with State Representative Bride Rose Sweeney and State Senator Tom Patton to introduce companion legislation "probably next week or within the next two weeks" that would encourage physicians to inform patients about SUDEP.
The Council adopted Resolution 2025-98 by a 7–0 vote after suspending the three-reading rule. The motion leaves the next steps to the state process if the city’s recommended legislation moves forward.
Why it matters: SUDEP is a rare but serious risk for people with uncontrolled seizures; advocates told the Council that better communication, coroner training and awareness could reduce preventable deaths. Council members and the Mayor said they will follow up with county and state partners on training and legislation.
What’s next: The Council scheduled related committee discussions and indicated it will continue outreach; Council President Brossard said he will work with county and state officials on medical examiner training and the proposed bill.
