If you’ve been to the EFGC office lately, there is a good chance you know Aaron. At the very least, you know his artwork. Aaron, originally from Hillside, IL, is… The post <span >Faces of the Foundation:</span> Aaron appeared first on Epilepsy Chicago ..read more

As someone diagnosed with epilepsy, when Rhonda heard about the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago, she thought it would be a good idea to learn what it had to offer. More… The post <span >Faces of the Foundation:</span> Rhonda appeared first on Epilepsy Chicago ..read more

By: Shawn Blond, EFGC Associate Board Member My Mom loved sending me lengthy good morning texts on my birthday. Her excitement to go out for my birthday lunch was palpable, indicated by the surplus of random emojis she used. On my birthday in the summer of 2013, I had noticed in the morning at work that she had not yet texted me. A red flag went off in my head and I rushed over to her place to check on her. As I opened the door of her townhouse, I had no idea how the landscape of both our lives would be changed forever. As I called her name walking through her place, I discovered her face down ..read more

“…Roll with the punches a little bit, get back up, keep fighting, just knowing that there are so many other people out there, going through that same experience.” On a Monday afternoon, Brendan Wolfe arrived at Midwestern Career College’s (MCC) main campus – prepared and ready to share his journey with us with the hopes of helping others. Ten years ago, at the age of 21, Brendan was diagnosed with epilepsy. Still early into his life and professional career, he had barely begun to scratch the surface of his potential. Little did he know, his diagnosis would eventua ..read more

These last couple months have been quite a whirlwind for Mason, a senior at Niles North High School. In February he qualified for the USA Junior National Coed Cheer Team. They did not have much time to prepare for the 2022 International Cheer Union’s World Cheerleading Championship, but that did not stop them from bringing home the gold medal on April 20th, quite an amazing accomplishment. More on that in a little bit. “I am bold,” Mason says. “I will always give it my all and be my genuine self. One hundred percent.” Anyone who knows Mason, knows that this is true, but this wasn’t always the ..read more

Hi, my name is Rose Ayala, I am Anthony Ruffino’s mom and this is his heroic story. Anthony Ruffino was born April 6, 2003. Anthony had a normal birth weighing in at 6lbs 9 oz with no complications and no concerns. Anthony is the youngest of 4. His siblings Johnny, Stephanie, and Alexa have never had anything wrong other than childhood viruses, no hospitalizations, no significant medical diagnoses. When Anthony was about 3 months old, I happened to catch some odd body “folding” activity on my flip phone and brought it to his primary care doctor to see. He had no idea what this was but he sugge ..read more

Jessica, 38, has had to overcome a lot of obstacles since she first began having seizures 10 years ago. Initially, she was misdiagnosed as having panic attacks. She also experienced feelings of depression and isolation, as well as a severe car accident that she feels lucky to have survived. Fortunately, with the help of her EFGC case manager, she has realized that having a different outlook on life can make a world of difference. “I know now that if you’re struggling, you just have to keep going,” Jessica says. “You need to find things that make you happy and someone who you can talk to who re ..read more

Giselle, 19, is majoring in Special Education and Psychology at Harper College. The Chicagoland native has a special connection to the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago. She attended Camp Blackhawk each summer from 2014-2019 and last week she was a counselor at this year’s Virtual Camp Blackhawk. “As a counselor, it’s been great to see how camp is able to get kids to connect with each other and us,” Giselle explains. Giselle has fond memories of her time as a camper. She loved the activities, including their pool time and the dance. She also loved the friendships she created and still kee ..read more

This month’s Face of the Foundation, Jessica, is studying to be an electronneurodiagnostic technician at Midwestern Career College, a partner of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago. She is enrolled in their Electroneurodiagnostic (END) Technologist Program. END Technologists record the electrical activity of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, including the EEG tests used in monitoring and diagnosing epilepsy. Here’s what she has to say: What interested you about the END Program? I’ve had epilepsy since I was 10 years old. I’ve had a lot of EEGs done because I’ve had bra ..read more

This is Lucas, hair still wet from swimming lessons, proudly displaying his advancement to a new skill level. As parents of this talented, goofy, articulate, sweet hugger monkey, we are delighted that most days are full of predictable moments of silliness, ongoing story-telling, and countless references to all the bodily functions that typically entertain a 7-year-old boy. However, September 14th brought us something unexpected: he had a seizure. Over the next 10 weeks, he had four more seizures, including two in the three days leading up to this swimming achievement. With no history anywhere ..read more