Seizures Affect Many: Mike Patterson of the Philadelphia Eagles Just Had His Life Turned Upside Down

Although I am not a Philadelphia Eagles fan, my heart aches for Mike Patterson. This past week, he had a seizure while on the field, and is lucky to be alive. Apparently he has AVM, which is a congenital brain vessel disorder, that caused him to seize up. This event hit him like a lightning bolt, and imagine the devastation of this twenty seven year old man. Here he is in the prime of his life, enjoying the life of being a professional football player, and then WHAM. It could be very much over. All of those years of toiling in the heat, practicing in the trenches, the wins, the losses, all gone in a matter of seconds.

He is among so many of our fellow citizens, that is affected by epilepsy related conditions. Three million plus Americans have seizures, and when you count the numbers worldwide, it is a staggering amount of people. Across the special needs families, its at a much higher rate, and that is why funding is so necessary to find that cure. While Mr. Patterson may have to hang up his cleats, and focus on a life he had never previously imagined, there are children right now being forced into induced coma's to stop their seizures. Some of them make it. Some of them, sadly go to God far too early because of them. That is why it is imperative, that the folks at places such as Vanderbilt Kennedy Center's Seizure Project, get the help that we all can deliver. It doesn't have to be much, because every bit helps us get to that goal of defeating this menace.

Today Mike is waking up to a new reality. His whole life has been changed in such a way, that it is going to cause pain for him and his family. Every dream he had of playing on the gridiron is now out the window, and I pray that neurosurgeons can help him out. Right now he is suffering, as are so many, and it is our moral duty to make sure that a cure is found. Doctors around the world are working on this issue, but the lack of funding towards this issue compared to others, is in stark contrast to what we all want. Seizures have caused so much pain. They have taken the lives of children, my own boy, and so many others have had to go down this road that has so many bumps and stabbing pain. Seizures have sprung up on people like this, and made their lives more difficult, taking away their driver's licenses and ability to live independently. I wish nothing but the best for Mike and all those who are contending with seizures right now, because this condition needs a cure, and it needs it more than ever.