Twenty-one-year-old Enrique Jaramillo told KFOX14 he learned he had epilepsy around the age of 15. It was after he contracted meningitis and got into a car accident, triggered by a seizure.

Jaramillo said once his mother brought him to a neurologist, he was told the frequent blackouts he was experiencing were all signs of epilepsy.

"At one point I was having up to 20 seizures a day," Jaramillo said.

Epilepsy Foundation-Texas said "epilepsy is a neurological condition caused by sudden brief changes in the brain's electrical balance."

The foundation said there are between 8,000 and 10,000 people in El Paso with epilepsy.

The number of cases is on the rise because more people are getting checked for it and that's in part due to more awareness.

The foundation holds fundraisers and free events for the public with one goal in mind: teaching people about the condition.

Jaramillo said after volunteering for the foundation in El Paso, he's made friends with other people suffering from the same illness and no longer feels ashamed.

"I was in a depression and then I started with the foundation and it's taught me that I'm not the only one with epilepsy," Jaramillo said. "I've met people with epilepsy and found different stories of people with epilepsy."

Jaramillo said the foundation organizes camps for people with epilepsy where members can teach kids about the illness and interact with other people who can relate to the daily struggles.

"That was the best experience that I've had basically my whole entire life," Jaramillo said.

There will be a family conference in November meant to bring people together on the issue, which is free to the public.