Support Abbie's Journey to Seizure Freedom

Thank you for taking the time to read my sister's story. Your support means the world to us. If financial assistance is not possible, we kindly ask you to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

On October 19, 2021, at the age of 20, Abbie experienced her first seizure. Until that point, she had enjoyed good health and had never required hospitalization. She is the first in our family to ever experience seizures. Following that initial event, she began to suffer from recurrent grand mal seizures. In our fear and confusion, we rushed her to the emergency room each time, culminating in a day where she had five seizures. Despite thorough monitoring, the ER staff could not determine the underlying cause of her condition. The neurologists we consulted merely prescribed medication without addressing the root of the issue.

Our fortunes changed during a visit to our local hospital when we met an ER doctor who recommended UAB Hospital in Birmingham, AL, renowned for its exceptional neurology team. Unaware of this resource, we gratefully accepted the suggestion. By God's grace, we have been under the care of this esteemed team for nearly two years and are finally beginning to uncover answers. Abbie has undergone numerous diagnostic tests, including CT scans, EEGs, prolonged EEEGs (a five-day inpatient test), MEG scans, PET scans, and psychological evaluations focusing on her memory.

We are now approaching the final two steps in her treatment. On December 2, Abbie will be admitted for a stereo electroencephalography (SEEG) procedure, which involves a six-hour surgery to implant electrodes in her brain through small incisions in her scalp and skull. This will necessitate a hospital stay of 15 to 30 days. Like her previous five-day EEG, she will gradually be taken off her seizure medications, allowing for a minimum of 15 days of monitoring to track her seizures and their precise locations. Once the results are obtained, the medical team will reconvene to prepare for a corrective surgery planned for January or February of 2025.

We pray for the success of Abbie's upcoming surgery, a swift recovery, and divine guidance for the medical team. Our hope is for Abbie to be seizure-free by her 24th birthday and to one day have children without the risks associated with seizure medications. As we face this challenge, we are ready to confront it, trusting that by God's grace, we will witness a positive outcome. Mark 11:22-24 states: “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Abbie has been so strong through all of this, but now more than anything she has requested prayers to trust in the Lord, to have a clear mind, and putting her faith before her worries. All donations will go towards out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles, crafts to keep her busy during her 30-day stay. If you find it in your heart to help, she and my mother would greatly appreciate every donation and prayer sent.

Thanks,

Brooke Mayfield