Eva June's Recovery

Hi, my name is Tanner Page and I am raising money for one of my dearest friends Carrie and her family. Her eldest daughter Eva is in need of a medical treatment out of state, not covered by insurance. I have known Eva since our daughters were in preschool together. She is an absolute light to everyone around her, and her family are loving, generous people. They are the first to help, and the last to ask for help. Thank you for reading Eva's story and for supporting this beautiful family.

This is Eva.

Eva is 16 years old. She’s an A student in 10th grade. She loves running and basketball. She’s taught herself to play piano and ukulele. She can’t get enough indie movies from the 90s and 00s.

She has a smile you can’t help returning.

She also has seizures that leave her completely helpless for as much as 45 minutes to an hour.

Since August of 2022, Eva has been living with a little-known and poorly-understood seizure disorder, FND/NES. It’s a disability that is invisible until it happens. On a good day, she is like any other teenager. But when a seizure hits, she is incapacitated.

You can imagine the effect this has had on a 16 year old. She is not able to get her learner’s permit, swim, or even walk around the neighborhood alone. For this school year, she’s had to be homeschooled because she is in too much danger at school.

Because her seizures give her no warning, she has already suffered a concussion and many minor injuries. All in all, though, she’s actually been fortunate - it’s never happened on stairs, or in a busy street.

What is FND/NES?

Functional Neurological Disorder is an umbrella term for neurological conditions that don’t have a structural cause (ie epilepsy or brain tumor). Her condition, which falls under FND, is non-epileptic seizures (NES).

Neurologists explain it like this: if her brain were a computer, it would be a “software problem,” not a “hardware problem.” There is nothing wrong with her brain that shows up in conventional scans, but at completely unexpected times, her software malfunctions and she seizes.

Until recent years, when advances in functional MRI technology made these issues visible, non-epileptic seizures were thought to be psychosomatic, and patients were told it was all in their head.

Even now, there are no pharmaceutical treatments like with epilepsy. No surgical solutions like with a tumor. The only effective treatment is a closely coordinated plan involving neurology, therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.

How Can You Help Eva?

There are no specialized clinics in Eva’s area that deal with her illness, and most of those around the US do not take pediatric patients. Trying to string together the specialists necessary for her care has been exhausting for her family.

But there is hope. After months of Google searches, emails, and phone calls, Eva has been accepted into a 6-week, intensive outpatient treatment center in Boulder, CO during January and February 2024. She’ll be under the care of one of the foremost experts in FND, and a whole team of experienced professionals.

Here’s how you can help: Eva’s family is on an ACA insurance plan that will not cover out-of-state or out-of-network care, but this is her best chance at mitigation or even complete recovery.

In addition to the cost of treatment, there are other expenses. Because the program is out-patient, Eva and her mom will need housing for 6 weeks, with good internet service so mom can work remotely and Eva can keep up with school. They’ll need food. They’ll need winter gear, because Boulder, CO is much colder and snowier than their home in central North Carolina.

Thank you for helping ease this financial burden as they focus on Eva's recovery.