Support Ashley's Fight Against Epilepsy

Hi, I am Kristine Bronkema and I am lucky enough to call Ashley one of my oldest friends. Ashley, along with her husband Drew, have always been there for anyone who needs honestly, anything. It is my hope that we, as their community, can come together to show them the support they have always readily shown us all.

In October 2021, at the age of 32, Ashley suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on the left side of her brain. She was in the ICU and hospital for 8 days. After her release, Ashley was determined to return to work. She spent months going to doctor’s appointments and working on language in speech therapy. As a result of her hard work, Ashley was able to return to her full time job in February 2022. However, on Mother’s Day 2022, Ashley suffered a life threatening, status epilepticus event. She went into respiratory failure and was placed on a ventilator in the ICU for 3 terrifying days. Ashley was moved from the ICU but, remained in the hospital for 10 long days to get her near continuous seizure activity under control. Once discharged, she was on several seizure medications all above their normal dosages.

Two long years later, Ashley continues to have uncontrolled seizures. She has not been able to work, drive, or participate in the activities she previously enjoyed. Ashley’s life, in many ways, has been placed on hold. The shining light at the end of the tunnel right now is that she has been approved for brain surgery at Corewell/Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Her first surgery is scheduled on May 23rd at Corewell/Butterworth Hospital and will be diagnostic in nature. Her surgeon will place 8-12 electrodes on her brain. She will then be moved to the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit for a 2 to 6 week stay. Post surgery, she will experience repeated, induced seizures. This will allow her Neuro and Surgical teams to capture the data necessary to guide them to her final surgical plan. Based on the testing she has completed so far, her teams are considering the RNS implantable device as a good option for her. The RNS will require a second brain surgery and an additional hospital stay. Unfortunately, the RNS will not cure Ashley of epilepsy, she will have this chronic illness for the rest of her life. However, an immediate benefit of this device is its ability to capture and report seizure/brain activity to her teams including unusual or life threatening activities. These monitoring capabilities alone provide her some peace of mind.

The funds raised here will help Drew and Ashley pay for her many, continuous medical expenses, as well as, the extraordinary costs incurred during her hospital stays. It will also assist with her long after care journey. Your support will help this newly married couple focus on Ashley’s health and well being during these difficult times.