When Andrew and Melanie Harmon noticed their 6-year-old daughter Emily “spacing out” for a few seconds several times a day, they assumed that she was just thinking about something because she would return to the conversation or activity as if nothing happened. In August 2013, an EEG confirmed that Emily was experiencing absence seizures.
Over the past year Emily has tried five different anti-epileptic drugs, none of which have stopped the seizures. The drugs are all strong and cause unwanted side effects such as fatigue and loss of appetite. Because of the seizures, Emily must be supervised at all times, especially while swimming or bathing, on stairs and in parking lots. Additionally, she needs to take a nap each day due to fatigue.
