Brooklyn was diagnosed with left temporal lobe cortical dysplasia when she was 7 years old. She took medications for five years, but they were not effective in stopping her seizures.

Brooklyn was a candidate for an amygdalotomy, which could cause her short-term memory loss and require her to re-learn her daily activities. Although she was frightened, she decided to go through with the surgery.

After the surgery, Brooklyn experienced remarkable results, and none of the expected side effects occurred. She graduated from high school a year and a half early and is now studying at a university to pursue medicine, likely in the field of neurology.

And she is no longer taking medication and has been seizure-free for over five years!

Brooklyn now wants to inspire others to have faith and be brave. She knows the process isn’t easy, but she’s living proof that it’s possible to overcome challenges.  She says “You got this!”

If your child has failed two appropriate and tolerated anti-epilepsy medicines, it’s time to ask for a referral for a surgical evaluation.

Remember – having a surgical evaluation does not mean you have decided your child will have surgery. It means you have decided to understand all your options early so that you can make an informed decision on whether more medication or surgery should be pursued.

If you need help to cover the costs to travel for a surgical evaluation, apply for Dreams for Danny – our financial aid program. We give up to $1,000 to qualifying families to cover airfare, hotel, food, gas, and other expenses associated with getting to a level 4 facility more than 50 miles from home.

Thank you Brooklyn for sharing your story!