Thankful Thursday: A Family’s Journey with Epilepsy and Finding Support

I would like to take a moment to share our journey with Empowering Epilepsy.

On New Year's Eve 2022, my wife Jan and I received a phone call at 6:15 PM that would

change our lives. Our son had been involved in a serious automobile accident. After

leaving work, he suffered a seizure while driving, causing a head-on collision with another

vehicle on the opposite side of the highway. It was nothing short of a miracle that he and

the passengers in the other vehicle walked away unharmed.

When I arrived at the scene, a police officer mentioned the possibility of a medical issue. As

a family, we stood strong together and began the difficult process of finding answers. After

some time, we were able to capture a video of him experiencing a temporal lobe seizure.

This led to his diagnosis of epilepsy.

Shortly afterward, while driving from my office in Beachwood, I passed the Empowering

Epilepsy office. I stopped in unannounced and had the good fortune to meet you, Leigh. You kindly dropped what you were doing and immediately offered helpful information and

resources to guide us through our son's diagnosis. From that moment on, Empowering Epilepsy has been there for us when we needed support the most.

We soon learned that you not only provide education and awareness but also recognize the

importance of a healthy lifestyle in managing epilepsy. My wife, Jan, using her background as a fitness instructor, launched a functional fitness program through Empowering Epilepsy. One of the standout stories from that program is a regular participant who has significantly improved her health — losing weight, gaining balance and strength, and becoming more active in her daily life. And there are more inspiring stories like hers.

In January of last year, you invited me to join the Empowering Epilepsy Board. I was honored

to accept and am proud to give back to an organization that has given so much to my family.

While our journey with our son's epilepsy is ongoing, we are grateful for the unwavering support and compassion we've received from Empowering Epilepsy.

Thank you for everything.

Best regards,

Dave Gutowski

Northeast Ohio