Audrey Vernick, Director of Patient and Family Advocacy at the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance (PESA), will be the keynote speaker at the Hemispherectomy Foundation Australia’s HemiCon Australia 2025.
Audrey will present “Understanding Medical Trauma and Hemispherectomy Families,” an in-depth discussion on the profound emotional and psychological impact of epilepsy surgery and the challenges families face beyond the operating room. This session will highlight the long-term effects of medical trauma and the urgent need for trauma-informed care in pediatric neurology.
Her keynote will explore:
- The difference between parental stress and medical trauma, and why families often don’t recognize PTSD in themselves.
- The emotional toll of hemispherectomy, including how parents and siblings process fear, grief, and uncertainty before and after surgery.
- The impact on siblings, including disenfranchised grief and how to support their unique emotional needs.
- The challenges of finding mental health support for children post-surgery and how to advocate for care that considers both neurological and psychological needs.
- Practical strategies for coping, healing, and building resilience as a family while navigating life after surgery.
PESA is proud to partner with Hemispherectomy Foundation Australia to ensure that Australian families have access to peer support, advocacy, and guidance throughout their hemispherectomy journey.
About Audrey Vernick
Audrey’s advocacy work is deeply personal. Her first son faced serious health challenges from birth due to a prenatal stroke. Despite trying multiple treatments, his chronic infantile spasms continued. At two and a half, he underwent a right hemispherectomy, which stopped his seizures completely. He later required a shunt for hydrocephalus and remains seizure-free today.
Through her experiences, Audrey developed a deep understanding of the medical, educational, and community challenges that families face after epilepsy surgery. She now helps parents make sense of the services their child may need, ensuring they are informed and prepared to navigate post-surgical life. Her work focuses on education planning, long-term support, and trauma-informed care for children post-surgery. Audrey is a certified Future Planner through The Arc, a trained Memory Coach for HOBSCOTCH, and serves on multiple national epilepsy and disability advisory groups.
