Rick Harrison of the History Channel’s reality TV show “Pawn Stars” dukes it out with customers at his Las Vegas store every day, haggling with them as they try to sell or pawn their items.
But as a child, Harrison duked it out with a serious brain disorder, which he credits with saving his life.
Harrison, who is the national spokesman for the Epilepsy Foundation, is set to visit D.C. to participate in the foundation’s 8th Annual National Walk for Epilepsy on March 22.
“Epilepsy is a condition that really doesn’t get the press and everything that it needs,” Harrison said on WTOP Wednesday.
Harrison suffered from benign childhood epilepsy and had seizures. The muscle damage he endured from the seizures confined him to his bed, where he spent most of his time reading.
Harrison says “[reading] sort of saved [his] life.”
My son Cole has 4 different types of seizures we are getting some help, but is a struggle , he is on 3 different meds and also the VNS . It is alot for me as Im going through a divorce and trying to go back to work . We live in Arizona just trying to reach out to loo. k for more help that’s all . Thanks for all that you do for the foundation.
It’s so encouraging to see that someone in such a large part of the public eye to come out about this. I have epilepsy too.
Hello Rick my name is Bruce and I am now 55 years old and have had to deal with epilepsy since I was 15 years old. I have much that I would like to share with younger folks to let them know epilepsy isn’t the end it is just a different beginning.
It’s good to see Rick coming out about his epilepsy. I’ve always enjoyed the show – partly because it’s in my home town of Las Vegas!
I’ve had epilepsy since I was about six – I can’t remember living without it… My first wife had it as well. Together we founded a self help group in Boca Raton, Florida, part of the larger organization of Epilepsy Concern, a coalition of such groups, of which I am a past president. I’ve lost touch with them since I lost her to breast cancer in ’97…
I never truly expected to live long and prosper, but it seems that I have. To a degree, at least- enough so that I have retired this year… Something that I never expected to see!