Skip to main content

Lights, Camera, Action!

A few months ago we were asked to participate in a video for Eplink--The Epilepsy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute--about people who've had epilepsy surgery. Richard and I were eager to help out, but I wasn't sure James would be, as the interview was scheduled for June 19, his 30th birthday.

 "No problem," my generous son told me. "No better way to celebrate being 30 than by talking about being seizure-free."

 So, off we went to Toronto Western Hospital, the site of James's surgery, to be interviewed by Eplink's Dr. Amaya Singh. The focus at Eplink is to find new ways to diagnose, treat and improve the lives of people with drug-resistant epilepsy. It is a great organization and I love its vision: "A world without epilepsy." It was an interesting interview and Dr. Singh immediately put all of us at ease. As it concluded she said, "I know hearing your family's story will touch a lot of people." 

 The video has just been posted to youtube. There is a short version (18 minutes) and a long version (36 minutes). You can listen to both of them here. Enjoy!



Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2018 at 7:23 PM

    How truly beautiful that James was willing to share his life experience, and on his birthday... all of those medications, wow! You all spoke so well... what an insight into what James has endured. I love the vision... A world without epilepsy! I appreciate your share. Heart hugs of love for you all. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NancySeptember 13, 2018 at 6:55 AM

      Hi Leanda! Thanks for your lovely message. Sending a big hug all the way to Australia for you. Hope you're back in Toronto soon; we all need a little more Leanda. xo

      Delete
  2. ARTSeptember 13, 2018 at 9:21 AM

    Thank you James for sharing your story, and your words of wisdom. Obviously you realized that epilepsy surgery was going to make a difference in your life, and it did!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NancySeptember 13, 2018 at 10:55 AM

      Thanks, Art! We're so glad surgery has given James a new life.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reading, Writing, Epilepsy and More...My First Blog

                      As a young girl my greatest loves were newspapers and books. I dreamed one day I’d be a newspaper reporter, and one day I’d write a book. At  21, I graduated with my degree in journalism and worked at newspapers in Collingwood, Barrie and Oshawa, but the book eluded me. Not any more. Four years ago I made time to follow my dream. In my little downstairs office I’d set my timer for 60 minutes and allow the words, the feelings and the memories to flow. With two 60-minute intervals a day, the words weren’t always pretty, but they were on the page. Today—following memoir writing classes at Ryerson, a graduate certificate in creative Writing from Humber College, working with an amazing editor, and countless hours of pouring my heart on the page—I’m ready to birth my 327-page baby. Seized—A Memoir of Epilepsy, Complications and Love , explores my journey with my son, James, who since birth has suff...
16 comments
Read more

My Current Favourite Book

I'm so glad today is the last day of February. For a short month it was long and brutal! I can't wait for the snow, the cold and the grey to vanish. Usually I go for a long walk three to five times a week, but not this month. It has either been too cold or too icy. On the upside, I've had more time for reading.  This year I've recorded in my Book Lover's Diary the title and author of each book I've read and I've rated each book with one to four stars. My Mom gave me the diary in 2000 but this is the first year I'm dutifully recording every book I read. So far I've read eight books, or almost one a week. Six of the eight are non-fiction: Becoming , by Michelle Obama; A Smell of Burning, A Memoir of Epilepsy by Colin Grant; Educated , by Tara Westover;  Walk It Off, A Memoir by Ruth Marshall;   Intrepid Soul, A Memoir of Returning Home ,   by Leanda Michelle and Women Who Walk With Wolves , by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. The two fiction books wer...
3 comments
Read more

Tristan Thompson and Epilepsy Toronto

      My son  James loves basketball. Guess I should have known he’d agreed to go with me to Thursday’s Amari Thompson Soiree in support of Epilepsy Toronto. Amari’s big brother—NBA superstar, Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers—is honourary chairman of the evening. You bet, James wants to attend!      I’ve always thought Epilepsy Toronto and the epilepsy community in general, needed a strong, well-known personality to help raise awareness and funds for those with epilepsy and their families. Along came Tristan, thank goodness! The Canadian citizen, who grew up in Brampton, partnered with Epilepsy Toronto to host the soiree in honour of his 11-year-old brother, Amari. Like James, Amari has suffered seizures since birth.      Tristan, who calls Amari, “the greatest motivational force in my life,” acknowledges that not every family dealing with epilepsy has had his good fortune. For this reason he decided to do what...
4 comments
Read more