Latest News Releases

S.E.E. and Learn What You Need to Know about Epilepsy

“The S.E.E. program changed me from a victim to a volunteer,” testified Linda Warner, Former President of the Board of Directors of the Epilepsy Foundation of America.

Grand Rapids, MI. Jean Grace had her first seizure at 18 months, and after she had a second several years later, was placed on antiseizure medications. Though the dosages were increased over several years, she experienced no abatement of symptoms. During those years, her life was seriously disrupted by her disease: she couldn’t drive a car, was reluctant to attend social events, and couldn’t even take the chance of going to a swimming pool or lake for fear of having a seizure. Finally, after years of changes, side effects, and unmitigated seizures, she was admitted to the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at the University of Texas hospital, underwent a temporal lobectomy, and since then has been seizure- and medication-free.

As a result, she wants to help others suffering from similar disorders. “I try to share my hope with as many others as I can,” she says about her work with the Epilepsy Council of West Michigan. “One of the most effective ways is to encourage participation in the S.E.E. (Seizures and Epilepsy Education) program, the most honored patient and family seminar about seizures and epilepsy that I have ever seen. I am so pleased that we can bring it to western Michigan.”

The Epilepsy Council of West Michigan in partnership with Saint Mary’s Health Care epilepsy program is sponsoring the S.E.E. program on October 14 –15 2005 at Davenport University. The two-day program, presented by Robert J. Mittan, PhD, will address the medical, social, and emotional aspects of epilepsy to patients, family and friends, and medical staff who care for epilepsy sufferers. The program is the recipient of the Epilepsy Foundation’s first Program Excellence Award for its outstanding contribution to patient and family education, as well as numerous other national and international awards. It’s a program that can change your life.

Saint Mary’s Health Care has the only multispecialty, epilepsy treatment program in West Michigan. Led by a Cleveland Clinic trained neurosurgeon, Saint Mary’s epilepsy program offers state-of-the-art monitoring technology, innovative surgical options, including temporal lobectomies, and exceptional follow-up care, providing new hope and the latest treatment options for patients with epilepsy.

Click here to view a brochure of the S.E.E. Program.