Caleb's Medical Journey

Meet Caleb Kern

Caleb is my 25 year old son who suffers from intractable Epilepsy and Intellectual impairment. He has had this since early childhood. He is currently experiencing  an average of 1 debilitating grand mall seizure per week. his current treatment consists of anti-seizure medication and a special diet developed by Mayo Clinic called the Ketogenic diet.  Most all medications cause unacceptable side effects, some very severe and prolonged. We have always worked with Mayo Clinic Neurologists since thebeginning and continue to consult them. Their "Keto" diet seems to be their best thing so far for him. The extra cost is high but we've been able to absorb that. We have exhausted  most conventional medical therapies, to only get where we are now.  There are many other promising therapies we want to try, but are limited to what we can afford because most alternative treatment options are out of pocket. Two examples are explained , but we are not limiting our willingness to explore new research options. We are currently trying a "functional medicine" approach that can be described as a more complete treatment of Caleb's entire physiology and how that may impact his Epilepsy. We've already paid thousands for specialized lab tests that fall outside of the conventional medicine model but give a far more complete idea of what is happening inside Caleb's  body. The most promising therapy for treatment of  epilepsy ( recognized in most states) is medical cannibis. The non- phsychotic formulation of the plant that research demonstrates as most effective for epilepsy is" beyond belief" expensive in Minnesota. The manufacturer says it is because of the difficulty  extacting this beneficial and safe part of the plant. Caleb has been approved by the State for this but the amount he needs costs over $1000 per month and must be paid in cash! We started This but couldn't afford to continue. Any gifts from caring generous people will be used to seek a better life for my son. If not a seizure free life, at least better control of them. We so long to see our Caleb removed from the "disabled" list. My wife Sue and I will be so grateful to all compassionate people that will help us in our quest to make a better life for Caleb. Thank You so very much, Robert & Sue Kern