Surgery puts a stop to toddler's laughing seizures

A 3-year-old New York girl isn't laughing any more, after undergoing delicate surgery -- and her mom said that's a good thing.

Ana Lagalla had a brain tumor that gave her seizures of uncontrollable laughter. The tumor caused a rare form of epilepsy that, untreated, could worsen to the point of mental retardation.
Doctors at Schneider Children's Hospital on Long Island successfully removed the tumor in a four-hour operation March 30. Now, her mother said she has her little girl back.

Her mom said the laughing seizures began in May 2006, with only a few episodes a day. But the frequency of the seizures grew at an alarming rate, and earlier this year physicians determined that a tumor was the culprit.

Since the surgery, the seizures have stopped completely and doctor's are optimistic about Ana's future.