One in 26. That’s the number of people who will be diagnosed with epilepsy during their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost three years ago, 12-year-old Jake Gmerek of Massillon, Ohio, unexpectedly became one of the “ones.” Wanting to be defined by a different number, Jake chose to undergo a procedure that was the first of its kind at <strong>Akron</strong> Children’s <strong>Hospital</strong>: epilepsy surgery. While it was an arduous two-year journey for Jake and his family, he never complained. Instead, he viewed the experience as an opportunity to make history… and to pave the way for other children just like him. A sudden diagnosis On Oct. 19, 2010, Jake was sitting in class when he started to feel “funny.” Concerned that he was going to pass out, he stood up to tell his teacher before collapsing and having a seizure. When the school called Jake’s mother, Kim Gmerek, she was in disbelief. “I thought they called the wrong house,” said Kim. “Nobody expects that call. We were in shock – our perfectly healthy child just had a seizure. It was unimaginable.” Jake was transported to <strong>Akron</strong> Children’s <strong>Hospital</strong>, where he underwent an MRI and several other tests. After he was discharged, Jake experienced several more seizures, as well as auras, abnormal sensations – like seeing colored lights or experiencing a tingling sensation – that occur before a seizure. “My husband, Mike, and I kept thinking that it could be a fluke, or there could be something more serious happening,” said Kim. “We were going from one extreme to another.” The Gmereks took Jake to the specialists at the hospital’s NeuroDevelopmental Science Center. An abnormal MRI scan showed that Jake had experienced an injury to the left side of his brain early in life; doctors believed he had suffered a stroke during Kim’s third trimester. With this discovery, coupled with his recent seizure activity, Jake was officially diagnosed with epilepsy. “Epilepsy is one of the most common types of pediatric neurodevelopmental diseases,” said Deborah Holder, MD, director of epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at <strong>Akron</strong> Children’s <strong>Hospital</strong>. “It occurs when there are abnormal electrical discharges in the brain. In Jake’s case, the injured part of his brain triggered the seizures. Since the injury happened so early in his life, that part of the brain became abnormal.” At first, Jake received medications to help control seizure symptoms. However, the Gmereks were told that if he didn’t respond well, he would be a perfect candidate for brain surgery. During the two years prior to his surgery for epilepsy, Jake developed close relationships with the doctors and staff at the NeuroDevelopmental Science Center, including Dr. Patrick Brown, pictured here. “All of my doctors and nurses made me feel really comfortable,” Jake said. “They became really special to me.” 18 CHILDREN’S PROGRESS | SPRING 2013
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