Who Is Sharon?
Sharon's love for people with epilepsy lives on each year through Sharon's Ride.Run.Walk., a nationwide epilepsy-awareness event series bringing thousands of people together to educate, spread awareness and make a difference for the people we love who live with epilepsy. Founded in 1995 by Dr. William Rosenfeld and Dr. Susan Lippman to honor and continue the work of Dr. Rosenfeld's sister, Sharon, a teacher and nurse who dedicated her life to helping people with epilepsy, and promoting helmet safety to prevent head injuries and seizures. Sharon was killed in a bicycle accident while bicycling cross country. Dr. Rosenfeld continues to serve as chairman of the event’s nationwide series for the past 26 years, and continues Sharon’s legacy of raising awareness about helmet safety and epilepsy.
DID YOU KNOW?
Helmets worn during head injury-prone sports can prevent many new cases of epilepsy. 5% of new cases of epilepsy and 75% of bicycle-related fatalities among children could be prevented by wearing a helmet.
Head injury is not only the leading cause of epilepsy, it is also the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes and is the most important determinant of bicycle-related death and permanent disability. It is estimated that 75% of bicycle-related fatalities among children could be prevented with a helmet.
Head injuries account for more than:
- 60% of bicycle-related deaths
- Two-thirds of bicycle-related hospital admissions
- About one-third of hospital emergency room visits for bicycling injuries
Bicycle helmets have been shown to annually:
- Reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85%
- Reduce the risk of brain injury by as much as 88%
- Prevent 135 – 155 deaths of children ages 4 to 15
- Prevent 39,000 – 45,000 head injuries
- If 85% of all child cyclists wore bicycle helmets in one year, the lifetime medical costs savings could total between $109 million and $142 million.
