A Mother’s Request

I know that some of you are really getting tired of people asking your help and such, but I have got to do it. Let me tell you why. I am a mother of three really great kids and my two boys, Jacob and Hunter, have epilepsy.

I am writing because the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan is a valuable resource not only to me, but to the community. When my first son, Jacob, was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of five we were confused and scared because we were not sure what “epilepsy” meant. He was diagnosed with complex partial seizures and all I knew was they did not look like what I had always thought a seizure was. Then my second son, Hunter, was born with cerebral palsy and diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. Only after his ADHD was controlled I started to notice his frequent bouts of “inattention” that triggered the need for an MRI and EEG. It was confirmed; Hunter, also at the age of five, had epilepsy.

That started my search for answers. I called, visited, and went to many places to try and find the answers my family needed. It was then when I found the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan. Thanks to them, I was not only able to understand what it meant to suffer from complex partial seizures, but I found people that would advocate for our family in the community, school system, and workplace. They came into the school and educated the teachers and staff on seizure first aid, the use of Diastat, the implications of a vagal nerve stimulator. The school was also informed about the many other implications that epilepsy has on a young person’s life and education and patience needed for my children to get a proper education. Hunter’s seizures eventually progressed from complex partial to Tonic Clonic (or grand mal); information I would not have been prepared to receive with the knowledge and support provided by the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan.

 

The Foundation helped my family not feel so isolated. They provided ways to meet other families that suffered the same problems and provided low-cost (and free!) activities that we could share together. Some of them include Epilepsy Entertainment Gatherings or “EEGs” that have consisted of playing bocce ball and attending Tiger’s baseball games. We have also participated in some of their more intense programming like their Family Retreat Weekends and Camp Discovery, a life-changing camp experience offered to children who have epilepsy. The staff was such a supportive voice for those really hard times. The education and social events may seem minor as you read this, but to a family that is touched by a seizure disorder, we constantly live in a state of never knowing what to expect or when the next seizure will come. This makes it very difficult to interact in a mainstream environment, with people who don’t understand.

I guess I am asking you to please help me to raise money for this organization that helps families to understand epilepsy, helps advocate for the families with schools, helps kids to avoid depression and abandonment from their peers, and forges support networks for families that suffer the disorder.

 

I will tell you that without the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan our family would be in dire straights. Together we can help them to continue their work and help kids like Jacob and Hunter have a chance at a normal life. You can donate on the website or you can use the enclosed envelope. We appreciate any donation; even if it is just a couple of dollars. I really want to thank you for your time in reading my story and with your help, mother’s like me will continue to have the “peace of mind” offered by the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan.