Epilepsy threatens his life! Let’s make it stop for Patrick!

Patrick is 25 years old, and he’s been suffering from drug-resistant epilepsy since he was 4. The seizures have become more frequent and occur even several times a day! They include losing consciousness, limp muscles, and falling to the ground, which may be dangerous. Nothing good comes from head injuries. I want my son to have a safe life and protect him against harm… 

Patrick has been struggling since he was born. When he was two days old, he developed apnea, which caused his health issues. He had partial loss of sight, eye problems, and Perthes disease (resulting in osteonecrosis of hip bones). They were the reason Patrick missed kindergarten, preschool, and even first grade…

Children need to keep in touch with their peers. It is crucial for their development, daily life, and self-esteem in general. Unfortunately, epilepsy also brought developmental disorders. 

Patrick attended a Boarding School for the Visually Impaired and spent there 7 years since we lived too far from the facility. 

The seizures became more frequent and stronger despite the maximum doses of the medications. Our son lived a normal life against all odds. Under ONE condition—he required the assistance of an adult. 

Patrick is our only child and spends most of the time with me. His dad works to make a living for us. 

Since the seizures have become dangerous, I keep a close eye on him 24/7. Besides sudden collapsing to the floor, he also developed muscle jerks, which take away his neurons… It is why we must take action! 

Despite Patrick’s tragedy, he is an optimistic young man with plans and dreams that keep him fighting for recovery! 

What gives us great and only support is occupational therapy. However, it is just a temporary solution since it does not involve treatment. It won’t cure his epilepsy, the disease that haunts him. 

Currently, our lives revolve around managing seizures, which are triggered by multiple factors—minor strain, eating, going in a car, the sun shining through the window, changing position, and many more… 

Our helplessness and inability to protect him against the disease are frustrating! 

The only solution is surgery to implant a vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) device, which allows for gaining at least partial control over epilepsy and makes the seizures less frequent and intense. The device detects the upcoming attack and “switches” it “off”. 

Fewer seizures would improve the quality of his life. We all dream of Patrick becoming independent one day. What’s the most painful is that he requires assistance even when going to the bathroom. 

He cannot be left alone in the room. Every fall can be dangerous to him. He may never be able to fulfill most of his dreams, but it doesn’t mean he should stop pursuing them! 

We ask you to donate to our fundraiser. Patrick’s injuries become more serious… We do not want to wait until he hurts himself again.

Please, help us guarantee a better, safer life for Patrick! Let his days be fearless and deprived of the risk of losing more abilities!  Let’s stop the disease which takes them away…

The parents