The Holman/DeJong Family The Yoder Family
Each year at the Winter Walk, we honor two families with the title of “Featured Family” for their outstanding efforts in coping with epilepsy on a daily basis. This year, we have two very deserving families being honored: The Holman/DeJong Family and the Yoder Family. Congratulations to these two wonderful families!
The Holman/DeJong Family was nominated by an individual who is very involved with the Epilepsy Association, Lacey Wood. Melissa Holman, mother of Mysha DeJong who has had epilepsy since she was 18 months old, openly shared her family’s story with us. They were told that Mysha would “never walk, never talk and would be severely mentally disabled due to a massive damage in her left hemisphere.” But the family never gave up hope! After struggling for years with seizures, Mysha had surgery on August 11, 2011. She started at a new high school that October, and was attending school full time by November. Since her surgery, Mysha has been seizure and medication free. One of the family’s proudest moments was seeing Mysha graduate from high school last year despite all the obstacles she has had to overcome in her life. Her story is so inspirational that she was featured on MTV and Fox 8 news. Click on the links below to read these stories:
MTV
http://www.mtv.com/news/2166381/teen-graduates-brain-surgery/
Fox 8 News
http://fox8.com/2015/05/18/rocky-river-student-beats-all-odds-to-graduate/
The Yoder Family, nominated by mother Jennifer Yoder, has also had to endure a lot of complications as a result of daughter Ethel, nicknamed “Eppie,” having her first seizure when she was only two weeks old. Jennifer was told that Ethel would not make it to her 8th birthday due to a rare form of a mitochondria disorder. But through the fear of this reality, the family viewed each milestone with a special meaning. They enjoy every moment with Ethel and focus on finding a cure. Through all of the hospital and doctor visits, Jennifer says that “our family faced many bad days, but also had several good days. These are the ones that I want to remember. Her smile became my sunshine on those dark and stormy days.” Ethel’s 8th birthday has come and gone, and Ethel is still powering through every obstacle that is thrown at her.
Thank you to both of our Featured Families for sharing their stories with us. We hope that you can join us on Saturday, January 28th, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at SouthPark Mall in Strongsville to support not only the Holman/DeJong and Yoder families, but also all of the other families coping with epilepsy in the Northeast Ohio community.
Insights Into Epilepsy 