Supporting SickKids to support research and find better outcomes

I have a special kinship with SickKids Hospital because I have lived with memories of being a 11 year old dealing with petit mal in Victoria BC where knowledge of this neurological condition was limited to “you either get better or you get worse (progression to grandmal seizures for the rest of your life”. My wonderful aunt who lived in Toronto and was familiar with Montreal Neurological Institute invited me to fly east, and took me to Montreal where I was assessed by a team of pediatric neurologists and then put through an EEG clinic with many other children. My petitmal spells diminished once diagnosed and meds were stabilized. Unfortunately, I was weaned off meds while before attending university (stressful years) and I experienced 2 grand mal seizures. This was quite a setback emotionally and career planning wise. I learned the cruel reality of being told we could not progress further in an interview because I could not drive, and how mean people could be if I mentioned I had a seizure disorder. However, my career path progressed smoothly including advanced degrees (MSc, MBA) and a professorship at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), and serving as Director of the School of Nutrition in the 1990’s. I also married and had a wonderful life with my late husband Ted Jensen. He encouraged me to drive and I bought my first car at age 40 because he worried that something might happen to him and I would not be mobile. So, while I take meds as my own insurance precaution, I never experience a spell or seizure during our 38 years together. By supporting SickKids, my mission is to support research into developing solutions for children with a similar diagnosis to be seizure free for the rest of their lives and not to experience odds of a worsened condition .