Epilepsy Testimonials

The people featured in this section have learned to live with epliepsy and hope to help others by sharing their experiences.

Taylor and Chelsea, his Canine Assistant

The dog in the photograph is Chelsea, owned by Taylor. Taylor was 15 years old when he was diagnosed with epilepsy. Since then, he and his family have seen some difficult times including the arrival of Hurricane Katrina, which wiped out the family business. But two months later Chelsea was given to Taylor, completely transforming his and his family's life, and giving him the much-needed emotional support that saw him through two brain surgeries last year. During this time, staff at LSU Medical Center, La., allowed Chelsea onto the ward and the dog never left Taylor's bedside.

Bryan

Bryan's life has undergone some pretty dramatic changes lately. This past summer, he logged 2,000 miles on his bicycle and lost 70 pounds. He returned to his former job at a tractor plant - and now even drives finished vehicles out of the factory. For the first time, Bryan's wife, Stacey, feels at ease when he's alone with their three children - Ashley, 6, Amber, 8, and Jessica, 10. Bryan really enjoys spending time with his family. "Every day I hug them and tell them that I love them," says the Kansas native.

Rachel

Sometimes, perspective changes everything. Consider the day Michele and her husband proudly presented their daughter Rachel, then 3½ years old, with her first bike - a red tricycle. "Rachel thought it was so cool, but when she sat on it, she just couldn't make it move," says Michele, from New Jersey.