Treated at West Virginia University Children’s in Morgantown, WV.
Addison was eight years old when she had a rapid onset of seizures, which were misdiagnosed as panic attacks. Doctors encouraged her family to take their already scheduled vacation, but after arriving in South Carolina, her episodes increased in intensity and frequency. When her mom took her to the nearest emergency department, she was told it would be a thirteen-hour wait. Addison’s eyes were dilated and her hands and legs were shaking; her mother wondered if her daughter was having seizures and pleaded for a doctor to admit her daughter. After countless tests and doctors’ visits, neurologists diagnosed her with cortical dysplasia to the frontal lobe, which is a congenital abnormality of brain development that can cause irretractable epilepsy. Addison underwent a craniotomy with right frontal lobe resection and a few weeks later, she needed a spinal tap to drain the excess fluid from her brain due to a cerebrospinal fluid leak. Today, although on medication and still having seizures, Addison exudes strength and wisdom far beyond her years. When she grows up, Addison wants to become a Child Life specialist.
Donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals provides life-saving care and essential programs that support Addison and her family during her treatments.