I came into the world on June 8, 1972, a dream come true for my mother. However, I gave my parents an unexpected shock by immediately going into 10 hours of fetal distress, which caused my heart rate to drop. The doctors took their good old time getting me out by C-section. Then for four days straight they connected me to all these crazy tubes and wires to keep me alive while my body decided to have non-stop convulsions. But my stubbornness and the grace of God allowed me to survive.
I grew up a relatively healthy boy who loved to play, but at age 10 I contracted viral meningitis. A few months later, while sledding in the park, I had a seizure at the bottom of the hill. It was scary. The world was spinning; I was throwing up and screaming. After many tests, I was diagnosed with epilepsy.
