Neuroscience Center Patient Stories

At age 10, Elke was afflicted by MOGAD, a serious illness that started with acute and severe paralysis and an inability to speak.

Alexandria was born at Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation’s first hospital, located in downtown Philadelphia. Everything seemed fine just after her C-section delivery, but within 24 hours of her birth, her mother, Kacy, noticed Alexandria’s eye twitching. She pointed it out to a nurse who brought in a neonatologist to evaluate the newborn. The neonatologist said the twitch was, in fact, a seizure.

Since their first experience at CHOP in 2015, Anna’s parents have felt welcomed and supported by the team in CHOP’s Friedreich’s Ataxia Program. Team members go out of their way to make their daughter feel comfortable and cared for, and they have a sincere commitment to providing care that takes the whole child into account.

When Aaron was 4, he was suddenly diagnosed with a brain tumor and had to undergo seven months of arduous treatment. His family will never forget the teams in neurosurgery, oncology, nursing and child life — and the Phillies and their South Jersey community — all of whom lifted Aaron up throughout his journey at CHOP.

Natalie could walk, talk, and was ahead of all milestones for her age. Then, when she was 18 months old, her parents, Nicole and Patrick, noticed her lifting her big toes off the ground when she walked, as though she had a splinter or cut on the bottom of her foot.

Read about Brandon's journey from dangerously uncontrollable seizures to seizure-freedom for the past 10 years.

For Eileen and Brenden, March 14, 2020, is not only memorable because it was the day the United States declared a National Emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It was also the day their son, Patrick, suffered a concussion that led to a potentially life-changing diagnosis.

Just a few days after he was born, Kylen suffered four seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy.

Call it a mother’s intuition. Though Killian appeared to be growing and developing normally during prenatal appointments, Jennifer couldn’t stop worrying something was wrong.

Holden and his brother, Elliott, share more than a love for cars and trucks. They also both have the same rare genetic neurologic disorder, known as MECP2 duplication syndrome.