I’d really recommend saving this for those days we all need a bit of hope because Kevin Tsuchinda is boy that makes you feel very hopeful.

At 10 he’s already shining at Wilson Elementary School with his eight-grader vocabulary and amazingly wide interests {I’m sure there are that many 10 year olds studying geology and entomology!}

In April Kevin made his second trip to Washington on behalf of the Epilepsy Foundation’s ‘Kids Speak Up!’ campaign.

Many studies have revealed a clear connection between those who graduate from higher education and the chances of securing better job prospects later in life. Continued study after high school is also a great time for personal, social and academic growth for an individual, whether that’s at college, university or trade school.

Researchers have discovered a mutant gene that causes a rare form of epilepsy in women. Known as epilepsy and mental retardation limited to females (EFMR), the condition is characterised by seizures from around the age of one, with the slowing of development and cognitive impairment, in some cases with severe mental retardation.

The mutant gene, known as PCDH19, was found on the X chromosome of female sufferers. Males can also carry the mutant gene on their X chromosome and pass it onto their children, however they do not suffer from the illness.

After years of denial by many in the medical profession, ground-breaking research by London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital has proved significantly the connection between a ketogenic diet and a reduction in childhood epileptic seizures.

The autistic disorder is a life lasting neurological disorder involving also the childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger disorder, Rett disorder and the pervasive development disorder. Autism is registered as one of the five pervasive development disorders and is usually diagnosed around the age of three.

I am really not sure what to do right now. My son was diagnosed with epilepsy about 4-years ago, and we have yet to find a combination of medication to work for him. He is not having seizures everyday but it is getting to be more frequent. I know that it could be worse but it has affected him in school. He repeated the first grade which was ok because I did not feel that he was mature enough to move on nor did I feel that he retained the foundation that is needed to go to second grade.

Hi everyone.

My name is julie.

I have an 11 year old daughter. She had her first seizure when she was 5. It was what they call a grand mal seizure. Her hand and legs were drawn and her eyes were rolled back in her head. I had never seen a seizure and this being my first and only child, I panicked, I thought my baby was dying!!!

When we got her to the ER, she had a small fever (100.5) so they said it probally was a febrile seizure and that she would probally never have another one. They did a cat scan and found nothing.

I am a mother of an almost two year old boy, Austin. He has had seizures for a full year now. My husband, son and I live in Port Moody, B.C. Austin started with simple partial seizures but once he went on Tegretol he developed myoclonic seizures which he has between 100-200 a day. We are on his fifth medication now but are remaining hopeful because we are being referred to a neurologist who leads the ketogenic diet at Children's Hospital.