LOCAL parents Trudie and Andrew Symens were terrified the first time their 10-month-old baby boy’s eyes rolled back and his body convulsed in seizures lasting up to 90 minutes.
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Rushing him to hospital while his body shook uncontrollably, the seizures abated only after coma inducing drugs were administered, and now the Symens are actively seeking to raise funds for Epilepsy Action Australia to assist other parents access the help they received from the organisation.
A seizure is a disruption of the normal electrochemical activity of the brain and epilepsy is the disease characterised by the tendency to have recurrent epileptic seizures.
The Symens held their first of several fundraisers on April 16, raising $534 for Epilepsy Action Australia.
“They have provided so many answer to our questions,” Trudie said.
“They made us feel we are on the right track”.
Their son, Cooper has had 67 seizures since October 2013 and continues to attend specialist appointments, have MRI scans and regular blood tests to monitor his medication levels.
“We have created memory albums for him when we go out to an event and he becomes too excited and he seizes. Events like birthdays, Christmas, play at the park, a visit to the beach, once he seizes he loses the whole day.”
A constant worry is that the next seizure may not stop on its own and may be capable of taking Cooper’s life.
Approximately three per cent of Australians will experience epilepsy at some point in their lives. Anyone can be affected at any age. Epilepsy is more than three times as common as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and cerebral palsy.
The next fundraiser Rock Your Socks Harder For Epilepsy - a rock and roll night, will be held at The Golfies on May 21.
