Hannah Whitten, JD
Hannah Whitten practices law at Whitten Burrage in Oklahoma City. She specializes in complex civil litigation. In 2019, she received a bachelor’s in Journalism with a minor in Entrepreneurship and general business from the University of Oklahoma.
Hannah’s older brother, Dylan, was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was a small child. Watching him struggle with his uncontrolled epilepsy shaped her life experience significantly. His passion for living life to the fullest and helping others humbled Hannah to her core. Dylan did not allow epilepsy to define him, and he is missed very dearly by his family. He passed away in August 2017 from SUDEP. She feels passionate about finding a cure for epilepsy to prevent anyone else from experiencing the loss her family has.
As a board member for the Isaiah Stone Foundation (ISF) since 2018, Hannah very much enjoys ISF’s focus on aiding local families with children with epilepsy and funding epilepsy research. It is through her work with ISF that she was able to learn more about CURE Epilepsy and its mission. She feels it is an honor to participate in the work CURE Epilepsy does. While Hannah does not have a science or research background, she has been studying epilepsy and learning as much as she can in her free time. Hannah also serves on Partners Against Mortality in Epilepsy’s (PAME) Governance Committee.
Hannah recently presented the extended trailer of a new documentary, “The Curse of Stigma,” at the 35th International Epilepsy Congress as one of the executive producers. The Curse of Stigma tells the story of African women living with epilepsy and the pain, isolation, and harm they have suffered because of discrimination and deeply embedded cultural beliefs. Funds raised through this effort will go directly to the International Bureau for Epilepsy’s Africa Anti-Stigma Campaign. Hannah is passionate about epilepsy research, advocacy, and stigma work nationally and globally.
Even before Dylan passed away from SUDEP, Hannah was very involved with nonprofit work. She has traveled to Africa on numerous occasions for her family’s nonprofit, Sewing Hope, which aims to support underprivileged women and children in Uganda. Her family has created numerous nonprofits to honor the memory of Dylan and an older brother, Brandon Whitten, who passed away from addiction. She has a love for service, but epilepsy has a special place in her heart, and she plans on being involved in the fight against epilepsy for the rest of her life.