Who You Help

Geni Brown

"Will I have seizures all my life? I hope I don't die from a seizure." Those are the words of my 9-year-old daughter, Geni. She is a bright and talkative girl, in many ways a typical third-grader. Unlike her friends, however, she has had seizures almost every day of her life. Seeing your child have a seizure is a very helpless feeling. She has suffered many injuries. Geni's epilepsy is intractable. She's been ruled out as a candidate for surgery. Now she has the Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) implant and we're hoping for the best. As far as other treatment goes, our daughter is out of options. Geni, and countless others, need more options.

Please help Geni's dad, Stephen, win the fight against seizures.

Kyle and Kelly Woodworth

"We were dumbfounded that this could happen to both our children," says Kathie Woodworth. "We'd never heard of such a thing -- two in one family?"Kelly, 9 years old, and Kyle, 11 years old, have adjusted well to their condition. But their parents are in a constant state of alert. They will always have twice the anxiety and twice the fear. Twice the helplessness. They wish more people understood epilepsy and the need for research. "Until it affects you, you just don't realize it's out there," say the Woodworths. "Epilepsy knows no prejudice; it can happen to anyone. It can touch you, or someone you love without warning."

Please help the Woodworths make a difference now.

Cheryl Creason

Fifty-three-year old Cheryl from Raytown, MO spent ten years struggling to keep jobs. Daily seizures and memory loss interfered with work, and delays in diagnosis and treatment forced her to go on disability. But Cheryl didn't give up. She contacted the Epilepsy Foundation and learned about the JobTech employment program. Staff helped her polish her resume, practice interviewing skills, and use public transportation, since like many people with epilepsy, Cheryl can't drive. Within a short time, the Foundation located an employer. About six months after Cheryl was hired, the company rated her in the top ten percent of their employees. "I always believed I was a good worker with a good attitude," says Cheryl. "But I was in a vicious cycle of going from one job to another, finding dead end streets." Thanks to JobTech, Cheryl and many others have a future with their employers.

Please give people like Cheryl a chance for career advancement.

Robert Sorrin

Robert Sorrin always wears his Medic Alert necklace when he's running, just in case. And like most runners, the 41-year-old lets his mind wander when he's getting his exercise. He was running one day recently and began to think about the many people he's met alongside a road or on a running path, who came to his aid. "It is ironic that a total stranger will come up to you while you're lying on some street having a seizure. They'll make sure you're okay, drive you to the hospital, wait with you until you're seen by a doctor and sometimes even drive you back home, " says Sorrin. "But, people you work with every day, even friends, stand back or walk away and pretend it didn't happen. But the majority can't forget. I think I've lost a lot of jobs because of it."

Please help Robert continue to overcome obstacles and live a rewarding life.

Madelyn St. Marie-Sei

Ever since she was a little girl, Madelyn lived in fear of her epilepsy -- fear of being an outcast, fear of not being the mom she longed to be. And her seizures only grew worse. Finally, Madelyn was expecting, and she didn't have one seizure. But when her daughter was 6 months old, the seizures returned, coming fast and furious, countless times a day. Tests revealed that her seizures were occurring throughout her brain, eliminating surgery as an option. But her neurologist said implanting a vagus nerve stimulator might help. One year became two, and still Madelyn has not had a seizure. She went back to school for her master's in education and became involved volunteering with the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago, serving as chairperson for the 5K Chicago Epilepsy Walk. Each day brings another reason to be grateful.

Please help Madelyn inspire others to enjoy life now.

SHOUT Out from the Epilepsy Foundation teen website

"I was diagnosed last year. Ever since then the people who used to be my friends started talking and saying hurtful things about me. They were saying all of these things behind my back. These people really hurt me and I had thought about hurting myself because nobody liked me. However I decided against it because I wanted my children to know what hardships I have overcome to be a better person. I became happy and felt better about being me. I got used to the idea that I was different and you know it really doesn't bother me any more." — PinkSunflower87

Please help us educate the public and improve awareness among teenagers.

Sean Jr. and Dylan Hirschkorn

Dylan wants his brother back. He remembers what it was like to have a big brother to play with and he misses the time they spent together. Basically, as the 8-year-old puts it, he just wants his brother, Sean Jr., to be normal again. Sean Jr. has epilepsy. He's had tonic clonic seizures since he was 9 months old that seriously affect his development.

The boys' parents, Neva and Sean Hirschkorn believe the keys to helping their son get back to normal are research and advocacy. They want the leaders of the country to "learn more about epilepsy, understand how the disorder affects the 2.5 million people in this country with seizures, and do something about it."

Please help Dylan, Neva and Sean advocate for people with epilepsy.

Camilla & Lydia Denton

My daughter, Lydia, has epilepsy, and I'm traveling to Washington D.C., with the help of the Epilepsy Foundation, to speak to my congressman about children with epilepsy in Southern California's Ventura County. Approximately 4,200 children live with the disorder in Ventura County. Close to 1,240 fail on anti-seizure medications and treatments. There is only one pediatric neurologist practicing in our area, who is expected to treat all 4,200 children, not to mention the kids with other neurological problems. And most children with epilepsy have learning disorders. Yet, in Ventura County, there is no available help through local school districts. We need money to step up the search for a cure.

Please help Lydia's mother Camilla fund the search for a cure.

Ryan Connelly

It happened on my birthday. My middle son Ryan didn't give me a card made with his three-year-old hands. He gave me epilepsy.

On the way home from dinner that evening we heard choking and gagging coming from the back seat. It was Ryan. I pulled him from his car seat and did a finger swipe of his mouth, but found nothing. Ryan went stiff, and his lips were blue. I screamed for my husband to go to the emergency room, while Ryan went limp in my arms. We couldn't have known what was about to happen to Ryan and to our family.

Ryan is a special boy, and we are committed to doing whatever we can to advocate for him. There is hope through research. Hope that a cure will be found so children like Ryan will not have childhood memories filled with seizures.

Please help Ryan's mom, Cassey, advocate for others.

Elizabeth Goldberg

I recently had a party in honor of my sixteenth-and-a-half birthday, the birthday being just an excuse to have a dance party with my friends. As an adolescent with epilepsy, one of the most frustrating issues that I deal with are the stereotypes about seizure disorders held by my peers, as well as adults.

So, instead of gifts for my Sweet 16.5, I asked my guests to bring a donation to the Epilepsy Foundation. Having received educational and support materials for some time, I know these donations will go toward the education, support, and research to further uncover the physical mysteries and social stereotypes of epilepsy.

Please help Elizabeth fund education, support, and research.