Braving the storms

By Kelly Yates
DAILY seizures that last for up to five minutes are something a Berwick boy has to live with as result of suffering from epilepsy.
But life could soon change for 10-year-old Brayden Ackers as he prepares to undergo brain surgery later this year.
His parents Daryl and Lyn Ackers told the News their son was diagnosed with refractory epilepsy at the age of three.
Ms Ackers described his condition as “horrendous and scary.”
“We’ve been on a roller coaster ride since his diagnosis,” she said.
“He’s tried every kind of medication but nothing has ever controlled it.”
According to Ms Ackers, a specialist told the family Brayden’s epilepsy was idiopathic, meaning there was no real explanation for it.
“Hearing that it wasn’t the result of any brain injury, illness or genetic cause seemed to make it worse because all we wanted was to understand the reason why and wanted something or someone to blame,” she said.
Brayden has between one and six seizures a day, sleeping for an hour and a half after every attack.
Over the past six months the Ackers family, including Brayden’s eight-year-old sister Kelsey, have supported him through many tests and scans at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.
“It’s been a never ending merry-go-round of tests, tests and more tests, hospital appointments and week long stays at the hospital,” she said.
Ms Ackers is hopeful the brain surgery, which is set for October, will be a success.
She said doctors could predict a 50 per cent improvement rate.
“We’re scared to death about the surgery but it’s something we have to do for our son otherwise he will live with a lifetime of seizures,” she said.
“There are definite risks involved and it will be a long road for all of us but one we are more than willing to travel if it will rid Brayden of these terrible debilitating seizures.”
The Grade 5 student at Berwick Fields Primary School warns his family as soon as he feels a seizure coming on.
“He gets tingles in his hands and at that point we have about 10 seconds to get him somewhere safe like a couch or the floor before the shaking and jerking starts.”
Ms Ackers said during the seizures her son’s lips turned blue and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
“As a mother you feel absolutely helpless.”
Ms Ackers said the epilepsy had restricted her son from doing things he enjoyed like karate and football.
“He wants to take part in regular sporting activities but he just can’t keep up,” she said.
Ms Ackers said she couldn’t imagine living a normal family life as she had to fight a continuing battle to protect her son from cruel children and adults.
“My biggest wish for these people is for them to walk a day in my shoes, preferably a day when Brayden has six seizures in one day and can hardly put a sentence together,” she said.
“I have no need or time for sympathy, what I really crave is empathy and understanding.”
“I don’t know how I cope with it. When people ask I just say what choice do I have.”
Berwick Fields Primary School held a trivia day last Friday to raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation.