When Seizures Strike
Kids with epilepsy find hope with new treatment.
by Children’s PressLine
PARENTGUIDE
News October 2006
One million kids in the United States suffer
from epilepsy, a condition characterized by
short seizures that can occur several times
a day. While some kids are able to outgrow
the condition, others must follow a strict
treatment regimen for life. Thanks to technology,
patients with epilepsy have received some
relief through vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)
therapy— treatment through an implanted
device that automatically sends electrical
messages to the brain to control seizures.
The unit can also be controlled manually with
a magnet.
The Columbus Children’s Hospital in
Ohio recently released research showing that
VNS can reduce the number of seizures in tweens
and teens, including kids under age 12. Children’s
PressLine spoke with three young people about
their epilepsy.
Adam Brock, age 18, Raeford, N.C.
Epilepsy really doesn’t affect me. Physically,
it has stopped me from doing stuff like getting
my driver’s license and getting a job,
but emotionally, it hasn’t really changed
my life.
When I feel a seizure coming it kind of gives
me a weird feeling, like déjà
vu. Then I go into a seizure and when I’m
done, I’m really, really exhausted.
Sometimes playing video games and staying
out late at night triggers a seizure. I can’t
stay out past like 1am or else I start to
wake up the next morning grouchy and moody
and I have seizures. The seizures last about
two to three minutes.
Last year, I was supposed to go to college.
I didn’t go mainly because I didn’t
finish high school, but also because I had
no way off getting there and I didn’t
feel like asking people for rides. I was supposed
to graduate last year, but I was so tired
because I had so many teachers that I just
didn’t want to work.
Right now I’m on VNS therapy—
it’s like a pacemaker. It has a wire
that wraps around my brain. If I’m in
a seizure and the VNS thing isn’t going
off on its own, I use the magnet [that comes
with it]. I swipe it and it stimulates my
brain. It stops the seizures. I used to take
like 26 pills a day and now I’m down
to 12 pills.
My friends are really calm about my seizures.
They know what to do whenever I go into seizures.
The first thing they do is grab the magnet
and swipe me. They don’t really think
much of it. My family members worry about
me, but they don’t really treat me differently
than any other member of the family. If a
friend or family member can’t find the
magnet, then they just sit down and wait for
me to come out of the seizure. They hold me
and then check to see if I’m alright
and all that stuff. Then they comfort me.
Kevin Tsuchida, age 7, Spokane, Wash.
Sometimes, when I watch TV, I have to wear
a helmet. I haven’t been to the hospital
for quite awhile. I used to go often, because
I used to have hundreds and hundreds of seizures
a day.
I know a few people who have epilepsy and
they are my friends. I have a support group
and I started having therapy about three and
a half years ago. Epilepsy hasn’t affected
my school life badly. But, of course, I’m
different.
Mika Adams, age 7, Sneads Ferry,
N.C.
When the seizures come on, my eyes hurt because
they roll back [in my head]. The worst part
of epilepsy is the needles. I don’t
like the needles.
I haven’t been to the hospital in awhile.
It’s scary there. I used to take 12
different kinds of medication, but now I’m
down to two different kinds. Sometimes I’m
normal.
What To Do If You See Someone Having
a Seizure
Administering first aid for epilepsy is pretty
simple, and it protects the person until the
seizure stops by itself. Tweens and teens
can serve as beneficial society members by
knowing how to respond to all seizures, including
the most noticeable type— generalized
tonic clonic seizures, or convulsions. When
providing seizure first aid for generalized
tonic clonic (grand mal) seizures, remember
these key points:
Stay calm and reassure people who stand nearby.
Look to see if the person has a VNS magnet
to wave. If not, remain calm and continue
to follow these steps.
Don’t hold the person having the seizure
down or try to stop his movements.
3Time the seizure with your watch.
Remove any hard or sharp objects in the area
surrounding the person.
Loosen ties or anything around the neck that
may impede the person’s breathing.
Lay something flat and soft, like a folded
jacket, under the person’s head.
Turn the person having the seizure gently
onto one side. This movement helps keep the
airway clear. Do not try to force the mouth
open with any force or with fingers. It is
not true that a person having a seizure can
swallow his tongue. In fact, efforts to hold
the tongue down may injure the person’s
teeth or jaw.
Don’t attempt artificial respiration,
except in the unlikely event that a person
does not start breathing again after the seizure
has stopped naturally.
Stay with the person until the seizure ends.
Maintain your calm and be friendly and reassuring
as the person’s consciousness returns.
Offer to call a taxi, friend or relative to
help the person get home if he seems confused
or unable to get home by himself.
For more information, visit the Epilepsy
Foundation at www.epilepsyfoundation.org.
Children’s PressLine is a youth
journalism organization in Manhattan that
trains kids to interview their peers on issues
that affect them. This story was reported
on by Jared Fishman, 10; Matthew Kunihro,10;
and Antonina Zeilinska, 16. For more information,
visit www.cplmedia.org.
