When 10-month-old Seandelle first arrived at Nemours Children’s Health, his future was uncertain. He had survived severe injuries, but from the beginning, his new mother saw something different, “He had a drive in him. I just knew I couldn’t walk away.”
Over the next several years, Nemours Children’s specialists across neurology, rehabilitation, ophthalmology, and surgery worked closely together to support him. His mother says, “Every doctor treated him like he was their own. They stopped, listened, and went above and beyond.”
By age 3, Seandelle began experiencing clusters of seizures, sometimes lasting up to 30 minutes. After many tests and hospital stays, his care team recommended a major procedure to disconnect one side of his brain. It was a terrifying decision. “It was the hardest choice of my life,” his mother shared. “I was scared.”
Neurologist Dr. Lily Tran, MD, his Pediatric Epileptologist, recommended that they proceed with epilepsy surgery to give the healthy side of Seandelle’s brain a chance to thrive. Dr. Tran recounts on his recovery, “Seandelle’s remarkable progress following his functional hemispherotomy underscores the profound impact epilepsy surgery can offer and further reinforces our commitment to making this option available so that more patients and families can begin a new chapter in their epilepsy journey.” His recovery stunned everyone, “They said he’d be in ICU for months. He was home within a week. He opened his eyes and said, ‘Mommy, how are you?’”
Since then, Seandelle has continued to defy expectations. He is walking, talking, reading, and full of energy. “He does everything they said he wouldn’t do,” his mother said. “And we are still seizure-free.” Seandelle has faced every challenge with strength and determination and today, he’s thriving. He is now off all medications, full of energy, and attending first grade in a mainstream classroom for most of his core subjects. He no longer needs his protective helmet and loves being able to run, jump, and play just like any other child. He’s also a whiz on the iPad and ready to take on the world.
His family calls him their rockstar, inspiring them every day to embrace life’s challenges. For parents who may be hesitant about surgery, his family shares that it was the best decision they ever made. They are deeply grateful for the exceptional care with his primary care team. Today, she focuses on supporting him as he grows stronger, “I’m his cheerleader. I just want him to keep moving forward.”
As we honor Epilepsy Awareness Month, Nemours Children’s is proud to share Seandelle’s story as a reminder of resilience, hope, and the extraordinary things children can achieve with the right care.
