Sage is our bright and loving 8-year-old daughter. Recently, she was diagnosed with absence seizures and prescribed Zarontin to help control them. As a family, we were doing our best to adjust to this new reality when everything changed on Mother’s Day. While relaxing together, Sage suddenly had a grand mal seizure out of nowhere. It was one of the most terrifying moments of our lives—she stopped breathing properly and began turning blue. If it wasn’t for my wife’s quick thinking and calling 911, I don’t know how long I would have stood there in shock. The ambulance arrived within about 10 to 15 minutes, but it felt like forever. My wife rode with Sage in the ambulance while I followed behind in my car. She was taken to a hospital with a pediatric wing about 35 minutes away, where the doctors worked tirelessly to stabilize her. After several hours, they were able to reach Sage’s neurologist, who originally diagnosed her absence seizures. Since his practice is based out of another hospital about 45 minutes south, he recommended transferring her there for further care and monitoring. By that point, Sage was alert enough to answer some simple questions, but she had no memory of the seizure itself. We later learned that about 10% of children diagnosed with absence seizures can also experience grand mal seizures, and unfortunately, Sage falls into that 10%. We spent all of Mother’s Day in the hospital, praying, waiting, and trying to process everything that had happened. Along with the emotional toll, we are now facing significant medical bills between ambulance transport, emergency care, testing, and hospital stays. If you are able to help in any way, whether through a donation or simply sharing this page, our family would be deeply grateful. Most importantly, we just want to make sure Sage gets the care and support she needs moving forward.