Dog's called 911!

A dog specially trained to call 911 when his owner suffers seizures grabbed the phone and whimpered for help when the dispatcher answered Wednesday morning, police said.

Chris Trott, a veteran police operator, said she heard a cry from Buddy, who she later discovered was an 18-month-old German shepherd.

Buddy's owner, Joe Stalnaker, was suffering one of his more severe seizures, said Sgt. Mark Clark of the Scottsdale Police Department.

Ten years ago, Stalnaker said he was in a military accident that severely injured part of his brain, leaving him prone to potentially fatal seizures.

He got Buddy when the dog was 8 weeks old through the help of Paws With a Cause, an assistance animal adoption service.

Stalnaker said he trained the animal to recognize when he is having a seizure and respond by grabbing the phone and bringing it to him.

"He doesn't actually sit there and dial 911, but whenever he picks up the phone, one of his teeth inevitably hits the number, and if it's held down for more than three seconds, it dials the police department," Stalnaker said.

When Buddy hears the operator, he puts the phone down and whimpers as if he is in distress. The 911 system matches the call to the address and dispatches emergency help, Clark said.

Trott stayed on the phone with Buddy until she could hear paramedics arrive, less than three minutes after the dog had placed the call, Clark said.

Buddy rode in the ambulance with Stalnaker to the hospital, and both man and dog were back home two days later, feeling much better.

WII and seizures

A popular gaming system is helping doctors learn more about epilepsy. There are some children in texas that are using the WII to treat children with seizures.

Eight year old Autumn Kincaid spends a lot of time in the hospital.

"She has cerebral palsy and seizures, we're actually here for seizures," said Autumn's mom.
Doctors at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth are actually trying to trigger autumns seizures.

"We learn from their seizures, we learn whether we're treating them with the right medication," said pediatric neurologist Dr. Angel Hernandez.

They're now using the WII game system to do so.

"The WII is yet another tool to make children tired because that's one of the biggest triggers for seizures in children," said Dr. Hernandez.

The WII not only helps doctors at Cook Children's study seizures, it also benefits the patients."
"With the gaming system, children are able to participate in something that's familiar to them, it's obviously something that's enjoyable," said child life specialist Betsy Hillyard.

While Autumn tries beating the game, doctors are hoping the game helps them beat epilepsy.

(NBC)

Medication does not always control seizures

I am writing because I would like to share a story about my grandson Evan's struggle with Tuberous Sclerosis and Epilepsy and how my daughter and her husband, Lisa and Rob Moss, turned their family's experience into something positive. Lisa was a student in Barbara Houle-Schwanke's first grade class during her first year of teaching. Although we moved away when she was still young, Lisa has always felt strong ties to this area.

When Lisa and Rob became parents I knew they would be great with kids but I didn't expect them to face such challenges. Their daughter Aria was born perfectly healthy and Evan appeared to be the same but that changed rapidly. Evan was born with Tuberous Sclerosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form in different organs. As a result of this condition he had three benign brain tumors that caused him to have Epilepsy.

In Evan's case, medications did not control his seizures, but we were among the lucky families who had brain surgery as an option for seizure control. It's crazy to think that most people who are Epileptic don't have this choice. The technology isn't sophisticated enough to pinpoint a seizure focus for everyone.

Last Fall Evan was having over 400 seizures a month and after having a series of three brain surgeries in November, he isn't having any! I feel like we've been granted a miracle.
As Lisa and Rob tried to keep track of Evan's seizures and medications, they ended up with a notebook bursting at the seams in a jumble of notes, charts and scribbles.

There was no easy way to document this information to have readily available at doctor's visits, so they designed an online tool to do just that. Rob worked on his computer many late nights developing this tool and Lisa logged Evan's seizures into it and helped find all the bugs and glitches--together they created www.SeizureTracker.com.

They quickly realized Seizure Tracker could be helpful to other families dealing with Epilepsy and began to broaden their scope to make the site even more comprehensive. It provides a free, secure tool to log seizures and medications, and create reports with graphs that can be emailed to doctors from the website. Ironically, the tool was ready to be launched during the same month Evan had surgery, so from a quiet corner of the hospital, Lisa wrote her first post to the TS Alliance message board to let everyone there know it was available.

I raised Lisa with the strong values of Northern Minnesota and it didn't surprise me when she told me she and Rob were going to create a free website designed to help anyone with Epilepsy. Lisa and Rob found out the Minnesota Stroll for Epilepsy was being held during their summer visit and she quickly enlisted me to set up a team. We will be walking in Duluth on Thursday, August 14. All the funds raised will stay in Minnesota to raise awareness through programs that educate, connect and empower people.

It has been great having the kids here this week and has been a joy to watch Evan run through the house without worrying about seizures. He now has a completely different life and is no longer bound by the confines of daily seizures -- he runs through the house causing mischief just like any other 4-year-old!

Former seizures stricken patient is to wed fiance at hospital

When she was 10, Lindsay Anderson had surgery at Children's Memorial Hospital. Doctors there removed a tumor lodged deep in her brain.

Now 22 and in good health, Anderson is going back to Children's for a much happier occasion. On Sept. 20, she'll wed her fiance, Josh Leve, in the hospital's outdoor courtyard.

It will be the hospital's first wedding.

Anderson and Leve have invited more than 100 family members and friends. Patients and their families will be invited to watch and have some wedding cake, too.

Anderson, a full-time nanny in Portage Park, said she wanted to "give some hope and some courage" to kids going through the same thing she did.

"Back when I started going to Children's, I didn't have a good outlook," she said. "It was looking kind of bleak. Walking in there today, I feel so blessed to be the way that I am and as healthy as I am."

Anderson had a benign brain tumor that caused frequent seizures. At just 13 months old, she had brain surgery at the Mayo Clinic to remove part of the growth. But her doctor thought it was too risky to remove the rest. A few years later, her parents took her to Children's, where Dr. Tadanori Tomita removed the tumor using what was then cutting-edge technology.

Anderson no longer has seizures. But increased sensitivity to pain is a lingering side-effect of the surgeries.

And she still has to see Tomita every other year or so for follow-up appointments.

Anderson and Leve got engaged last year. They met a few years ago at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where Anderson was being treated for pain. Leve worked in the same building.

The idea of getting married at Children's came last year while Anderson was sitting in a park near the hospital.

Children's agreed to provide the space free of charge.

"At first, I had the reaction that a lot of people do, which is: That's an interesting idea,' " said Leve, 29. "Then, I thought how amazing it would be . . . literally come full circle. We wouldn't think of any other place to get married."

Tomita is now head of pediatric neurosurgery at Children's. He can't make it to the ceremony.
But, he said, "I'm very happy that she had a happy ending. I hope this wedding is a happy start."

Missing man has seizures disorder

Crews are searching for a missing hiker in the canyons of the San Bernardino National Mountains.
Neighbors say they last saw 35-year-old Tony Jacquet on Monday afternoon walking with his dog in Forest Falls.

The dog returned home later but Jacquet did not.

Sheriff's officials say Jacquet has a medical condition that causes seizures and needs to take medications daily.

Search crews and dog teams have been joined by a helicopter.

Little girl goes through stem cell treatment to treat seizures

A girl suffering from a rare disease is back in Louisville after getting stem cell therapy in China.

Miranda Goranflo said her daughter Hailey, 5, has made significant progress from those stem cell treatments.

After seven weeks in China, the Goranflos returned home early Thursday morning.

"Now she's wearing the right size clothes; she's not underweight any more, or small," said Miranda.
On Friday, Miranda took Hailey to pediatrician Wendy Daly to report on Hailey's progress after her treatments.

"She hasn't needed oxygen since the day we got there, and before, at home, she'd be on oxygen several times throughout the day," Miranda said.

WLKY first introduced you to Hailey in April. She suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Batten disease.

As a result, Hailey lacks an enzyme needed to clear waste from brain cells.

Since her stem cell treatments, her mother says Hailey's biggest improvement is a dramatic decrease in seizures.

"Before, she would have hundreds of seizures a day, 500 or more a day," Miranda said. "Now she has maybe five or 10."

"I've never seen Hailey not have seizures when she's been here, and she hasn't had a seizure the whole time she's here," Daly said.

In addition to Hailey, Miranda's son, Carter, has the disease. He may take part in a clinical trial in New York, or also get stem cell treatments in China.

"Since we've caught his earlier, maybe we'll have even better results than Hailey," Miranda said.
"I think a lot has to be said for the hope that Miranda received in China," Daly said. "I think her parents literally had no hope."

"We're hoping to keep her here long enough and improve the quality of her life and extend her life because they are close to a cure," Miranda said.

Miranda and Hailey may spend Christmas in China. They're due to go back in early December or early January for another round of stem cell treatments, which are currently not available in the U.S.

Water intoxication vs. seizures

A 42-year-old woman whose blood-smeared body was found in her condominium died of a lack of electrolytes caused by drinking a large amount of water, the Macomb County medical examiner ruled.

Andrea Bean was found dead July 29 in her Macomb Township condo. She had suffered from an undisclosed mental condition that caused her to consume large amounts of water to the point that it killed her, said Dr. Mark Spitz, the county medical examiner.

"It can cause seizures and death," he said.

The condition is something Bean had dealt with previously, Spitz said. Water intoxication can occur in people with mental illness, according to the Journal of Clinical Pathology.

"The condition may go unrecognized in the early stages, when the patient may have symptoms of confusion, disorientation, nausea and vomiting, but also changes in mental state and psychotic symptoms," the article states.

"Early detection is crucial to prevent severe hyponatraemia, which can lead to seizures, coma, and death."

Although the blood that was smeared on Bean and the walls near where her body was found is being tested, investigators believe it is hers.

"We do believe it was hers from some prior issue or incident that had nothing to do with any assault or injuries," Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel said.

Spitz said the blood did not appear to play a role in Bean's death.

"I don't think the blood at the scene has anything much to do with her death," he said. Spitz had previously determined there was no foul play involved in Bean's death.

Spitz said police would investigate the blood's origin, not his office.

"It would be nice to know where the blood came from," he said.

Hackel said his investigators have sent blood samples taken from the condo to the Michigan State Police crime lab and are waiting for the results.

Bean is survived by three children and her former husband, who had custody of the children.

You can reach Santiago Esparza at (313) 222-2127 or sesparza@detnews.com.

Aspartame vs. seizures

A resolution to rescind approval of aspartame, written by Stephen Fox and Betty Martini, D.Hum, founder of Mission Possible International (MPI), was submitted to all members of the South Africa parliament August 9th by the Phoenix Environmental Institute (PEI).

The organization also lodged a complaint with the country's Department of Health and its Advertising Standards Authority. Contact info for PEI: Khadija Sharife, kalebron@gmail.comThe original resolution (Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution 191) is a genteel legislative mandate and request of the FDA to rescind aspartame approval. It resulted from difficulties faced by the original ban bill, which were brought by Corporate Lobbyists.

Attempts to obtain a legislative ban on the known neurotoxic, non-nutritive food additive in New Mexico almost succeeded in 2006 and, 47 members of the UK parliament signed an "Early Day Motion" in favor of an aspartame ban in Jan, 2006. A petition on aspartame was submitted to the New Zealand government with over 8,000 signatures on July 23, 2008.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0807/S00152.htm

Public awareness regarding the dangers of consuming products containing aspartame is growing. To help generate the critical mass necessary to criminalize the trafficking of aspartame in countries throughout the world, MPI has teamed up with PEI to distribute vital facts on aspartame for the global banning of this known neurotoxin.

Several aspartame awareness documents, free for downloading, are available at www.mpwhi.com . Also available is The Artificially Sweetened Times-a compelling, 24-page booklet dedicated to teaching people about the dangers of aspartame.

The Artificially Sweetened Times can be found at www.proliberty.com/observer/asptimes.htm .

Aspartame Awareness weekendThe weekend of September 5 - 7 is Aspartame Awareness Weekend for 2008. The international emphasis this year is to provide restaurant managers with "aspartame facts" so they are encouraged to remove aspartame voluntarily (Equal/NutraSweet/E951/Canderel, etc.) as a sweetener option from their restaurant tables.

There are safe alternatives. "Just Like Sugar" has restaurant packets available in a natural sweetener of chicory, orange peel, Vitamin C and Calcium which is safe for diabetics, where as aspartame and sucralose (Splenda) are deadly. Be warned about Neotame from ASP manufacturers which has now been approved.

Aspartame is an addictive excitoneurotoxic carcinogenic drug that interacts with virtually all drugs and vaccines due to damage to the mitochondria or life of the cell. Aspartame is currently added to drugs prescribed to treat the problems it causes as well as many children's vitamins.For instance, "headache" is number one on the FDA list of 92 symptoms of aspartame poisoning.

When chronic headache sufferers seek medical care they may be given Maxalt by Merck; Maxalt contains aspartame.Aspartame interacts with L-dopa and can trigger Parkinson's Disease. Yet, Parcopa, a drug prescribed to Parkinson's sufferers, has aspartame in it and Parcopa manufacturer Schwarz Pharmaceutical refuses to remove it.

www.wnho.net/schwarz_pharma_letter.htm

Four different types of seizures are noted on the FDA list of 92 symptoms of aspartame poisoning. A drug commonly prescribed to treat seizures, Dilantin, manufactured by Pfizer, has been reformulated and has caused a tremendous amount of publicity because epileptics taking this drug are experiencing more seizures, loss of equilibrium, vision problems, glaucoma and even sexual dysfunction, all of which are well-known symptoms that aspartame victims suffer.

A campaign to determine conclusively that the new Dilantin formula contains aspartame is currently underway as are preparations to file a class action lawsuit against Pfizer. Epileptics, whose sudden increase of seizures coincide with taking the reformulated Dilantin, a larger capsule that is white with a red stripe, are encouraged to contact Dr. Glenn Mabson of the Epileptic Foundation of Maui at www.epilepticfoundationmaui.orgKetocal, a supplement drink, is a common component of the ketogenic diet, a high-fat/low carbohydrate dietary regimen primarily prescribed to epileptic children.

Ketocal contains aspartame www.shsna.com/ca_english/pages/ketocal.htmThe model aspartame ban resolution is currently being translated into several languages. See the resolution at www.wnho.net/aspartame_war_in_hawaii_continues.htmIf you're interested in translating the resolution into your language or pursuing an aspartame ban, contact Dr. Betty Martini of MPI.

You can also subscribe to the Aspartame Information List on www.mpwhi.com to stay current with worldwide efforts to ban the neurotoxic, carcinogenic drug aspartame.

Resources include the medical text, Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic by H. J. Roberts, M.D., www.sunsentpress.com and Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D., www.russellblaylockmd.com .

An aspartame documentary, "Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World", www.soundandfury.tv explains how Don Rumsfeld got this toxin on the market through political chicanery, and includes aspartame experts and victims.

Betty Martini, D.Hum, Founder Mission Possible International 9270 River Club Parkway Duluth, Georgia 30097770 242-2599 www.mpwhi.com, www.dorway.com, www.wnho.net .

Aspartame Toxicity Center, www.holisticmed.com/aspartame .

Aspartame Information List, www.mpwhi.com .

Baby had seizures as a symptoms of ARX

A British baby has become the first in the world to die from a virtually unknown brain condition that rapidly shrank his brain.

Mother Karen Marshall-Rogers told how she was powerless to help as the condition ARX caused her son's brain to dramatically shrivel from the inside out.

Baby Seth died aged nine months just weeks after doctors made their diagnosis.

Baby Seth died from a very rare brain disorder, which caused the organ to shrivel
Karen, 26, from Aylesbury, Bucks, said: 'We were told he is the only child in the world to have that specific mutation, which caused his brain to shrink.

'He was a beautiful little boy and he has been taken away from us by this horrendous condition.'
Seth was admitted to his local hospital just after Christmas with constant fits that baffled doctors.
He was then tube-fed after he starting losing weight because he couldn't swallow.

The stumped medics then decided to transfer him to a special neurology unit at the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford.

Karen and her catering manager husband Ben, 30, spent every day with their baby boy as he underwent tests and scans.

He was finally diagnosed with ARX in May this year and told he had just six weeks to live as his brain was shrinking so fast there would soon be nothing left.

Seth's condition deteriorated rapidly and he eventually died on June 16.

A normal brain scan (l) and a scan of Seth's brain that shrank from the inside out
Karen said: 'We were devastated of course but it was a relief to finally know what was wrong with Seth.

'We knew in February that he had a degenerative condition but just didn't know what it was. At least we could then ask questions.'

The condition - which only affects boys - is so rare that Karen and Ben couldn't even find anything out about it on the internet.

Dr Sandeep Jayawant cared for Seth when he was transferred to the special children's unit at the John Radcliffe hospital.

The consultant paediatric neurologist said he is preparing to publish a paper on the condition. Only two other children are known to have the condition in Japan.

Karen and Ben, who also have son Bailey, three, have set up a memorial fund in Seth's name.
They want to raise awareness of the virtually unknown condition - to ensure all hospitals test children for ARX (full name Aristaless Related Homeobox) if they have seizures.

Dr Jayawant added: 'From data we have seen there may be around five in 3.5million children with ARX. It is such a rare condition that not many people know about it.

'It is primarily a movement disorder and causes epilepsy-like seizures.'

The leading consultant said he would encourage all hospitals in the UK to screen kids for the condition.

'We are able to test for it and we are doing that at the John Radcliffe, but it is not a widespread policy,' he said.

'Hopefully with the knowledge from Seth's case more hospitals will begin to test for ARX.'

Family asks for help for their baby who has rare seizure disorder

A FORMER Sutton dad has launched an emotional appeal to help save the life of his seriously ill baby daughter.

Tiny Katie Maguire suffers from cerebral palsy as well as a rare form of epilepsy and has daily seizures which prevent her brain from developing.She contracted the illnesses when she was born six weeks prematurely and now needs 24-hour care.Her desperate parents Mekila Maguire and Gary McCann are now pleading for the public to help them raise £250,000 to send sick Katie, who will celebrate her first birthday on Monday, to America for a life-saving operation.

So far Mekila and Gary, who used to live on Outram Street and now live in Northern Ireland, have raised a massive £125,000 but still need another £125,000 to reach their daunting target.

'Traumatic'

Gary told Chad: "At 34 weeks pregnant Mekila had a placenta abruption, she lost a lot of blood and was rushed to hospital. "Our baby was delivered by an emergency Caesarean section."The next hour was the most traumatic and horrifying experience. "Katie had no heartbeat and was unable to breathe by herself. At 18 minutes after delivery the doctors finally got a heartbeat but they were breathing for her."

'Fighting'

"We were told that our baby daughter had been starved of oxygen for approximately 45 minutes and had suffered severe brain damage. She was fighting for her life. After a few hard days Katie was able to breathe on her own but she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and was having epileptic seizures."

The weeks following had many ups and downs, but at two-months-old we were able to go home together. "Unfortunately, Katie has spent most of her time back in hospital."The family has been backed by generous people across Northern Ireland, who have rallied round to take part in a variety of events, including fun runs, barbecue nights and a sponsored supermarket bag packing.

For further information or to help the family visit www.keepbabykatieawake.com.

Link between seizures and shaken baby syndrome

A pediatrician who consulted in the care of an 8-month-old Salina boy testified Friday in Saline County District Court that the seizures and vomiting the baby experienced usually occur within two hours of the traumatic injury that caused them.

Dr. Beth Heflin was a member of the child abuse evaluation team at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, that evaluated the boy after he was airlifted to the hospital on April 28. The child had symptoms known to be caused when a baby is violently shaken by an adult.

If the baby's symptoms did occur within two hours of the injury, that would mean the child would have been in the care of a Salina child-care provider, the child's mom, Ofelia Rodriguez, testified.
Testimony will resume at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 2 in the preliminary hearing of Tiffany L. Axelson, 24, 107 Hays Court. She's charged with child abuse and aggravated battery. District Judge Daniel L. Hebert will rule at the hearing's conclusion whether there is enough evidence to bind Axelson over for trial.

On the morning of April 28, Rodriguez testified, she pushed her 8-month-old son in his stroller to Axelson's house shortly before 8 a.m. Axelson had been the boy's child-care provider for the previous two months, she said. That morning the baby was a little fussy because he was teething, but otherwise she thought he was in normal health, Rodriguez testified.

Rodriguez said shortly before 4 p.m. that day, she received a call at work from Axelson, who said something was wrong with the baby.

"She said she sat down and fed him a bottle, and he threw up all over her," Rodriguez said. "Then her voice started sounding shaky and she said she thought he was having a seizure."

An inflicted injury

The baby was taken to Salina Regional Health Center and then flown to Wichita.

"I got told while I was at Salina Regional Health Center that this was an inflicted injury, and they could not care for him here, so they were going to transport him somewhere else," Rodriguez testified.

Dr. Heflin testified that medical tests revealed hemorrhages between the lining of the child's brain and his brain, as well as hemorrhages and tissue swelling in the back of his eyes. He was also diagnosed with a moderate to severe concussion, which brought about seizures, vomiting and breathing irregularities.

While some of the brain hemorrhages may have been caused previously, onset of symptoms such as vomiting and seizures usually occurs immediately or within two hours of trauma, Heflin testified. Since the baby had not been in his mother's care during that time, the child abuse evaluation team determined that the child could safely be returned to his mother when released from the hospital, she said.

Attorney Roger Struble, who represented Axelson, questioned Rodriguez and Heflin about several falls the child had had in the months before April 28, including a time he fell off a bed and another time he hit his head on a metal heater in Rodriguez's apartment.

n Reporter Erin Mathews can be reached at 822-1415 or by e-mail at emathews@salina.com.