Elida Faith Villarreal is 17 years old. Not only is she my daughter, she is also my hero. Ellie, as we all know her by, is amazing, beautiful, sassy, and just incredible. Those that know her know that she will leave a smile on your face, and an everlasting mark on your heart. Ellie has the determination to live, and will love with the very heart and soul she fights for on a daily basis. Her journey with epilepsy has been hard, intimidating, and overwhelming. But she has not given up! We have not given up!! There are so many words to describe the emotions when talking about Ellie and her illness. She has showed us what life is all about. Because of her, we laugh a little louder, we love a little deeper, and because of her...we fight a whole lot harder.

Our journey with LGS and epilepsy has just gotten a little bit harder: At the age of 9 months, Ellie had a brain tumor. The size of the tumor caused Ellie to go blind. We went to The Texas Children's Hospital to have resection done. During the procedure, she had a stroke causing her to be left with hemiparesis. Then came her seizures at the age of 3. She continued to have several types including tonic and absence seizures. They have drastically reduced Ellie's quality of life. At the age of 11, Ellie received another diagnosis, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS). We have gone through 11 medications with little to no improvement. Her LGS has proven to be medication resistant. Today, Ellie's seizures are out of control (AGAIN). She will require additional medications along with additional testing and appointments. We will be taking some tests to find out if she is a good candidate for laser ablation. With that being said, I will be out of work to care for my daughter and our insurance will not cover some medications that have helped her tremendously. She will need continuous use of some meds by her pain management doctor. I don't like asking for help because I like to think of myself as a super mom not only to Ellie but to all 5 of my children, but sometimes it's a must. My primary need is prayer. I believe in the power of prayer and I am asking for as many prayers as possible for my Ellie. Every donation, no matter the size will help me remain by her side while we tackle this bump in the road. Due to multiple trips to ER, doctor visits, having to take days off from work to care for Ellie after bad nights of relentless seizures, I am still responsible for my normal day-to-day expenses to maintain our home, including babysitter fees for my other children while I am away with her at the hospital. That still does not include doctor visits for gummies, hotel fees for having to stay out of town, and gas for our upcoming trip. We are thankful for all the love and support you all have given us and any donation is greatly appreciated. God bless always. Prayers for better days to be seizure-free.