Everyday Heroes: Sherwood mother warns about ‘SUDEP’ after son’s sudden death

15-year-old Isaac Schweitzer was just hitting his stride during his freshman year at Sherwood High School. "I started to see a transformation in him. He started lifting weights and for the first time I saw him really, really happy. The confidence was there and I got a glimpse of the man he would’ve been," says Isaac’s mother, Erin Schweitzer.

Isaac had recently started playing football and lacrosse. "You could see his comfortability and his love start to develop for the game. Whether there was something good or bad on the field, he always had the ability to smile," says Sherwood High School Head Football Coach Mark Gribble.

And he had a good group of friends. "He was an amazing friend. I was kind of the outcast for a little while. Isaac was the first person to say ‘hey come hang out,’" says Austin Milton, who lived across the street from the Schweitzers.

But in March 2020, out of nowhere, Isaac had a seizure. "They did a CAT scan and they said sometimes seizures just happen and if he has another one then we need to see the neurologist and eight days later he had his second seizure. At that appointment, we were reassured. They told us that seizures were not dangerous," says Erin.

Isaac was taking medication and following the doctor’s orders. The Schweitzers were packed up and ready for a Memorial Day Weekend camping trip. But when Erin when into Isaac’s room to wake him up, she knew right away that her son was gone. Isaac had died in his sleep.

"Because I thought that seizures weren’t dangerous and I thought the safest place for my child is in his bed 15 feet from me, walking in that room and finding Isaac dead was like the shock of that was unreal," says Erin.

Later that morning, Erin says she noticed the deputy medical examiner write SUDEP on her notepad. "It was a couple weeks later that I finally realized what SUDEP was, Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, and then I was pissed.

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, SUDEP is the leading cause of death in people with uncontrolled seizures. It’s when they die unexpectedly without a clear cause.

"While I started to do some research, I realized that 99% of the people who lose a loved one to SUDEP never knew about it, never knew about it, why don’t we know about it? Doctors need to tell people. However, that’s not happening, so I will," says Erin.

As Erin spread the word about SUDEP, she met a classmate of Isaac’s, Mallory Gillum, who has a similar story. "I seize every single day. I can’t drive and I’m 19, so that’s extremely hard. My parents are my chauffeurs and my full time caregivers. SUDEP is a risk for anyone with epilepsy, so I am scared that I am gonna die every day," says Mallory.

Mallory’s mother Sheri Gillum says her daughter found out about SUDEP not from her doctor, but from Instagram. "I’ve met nurses here in Oregon who didn’t know what SUDEP was. Seizures are the most dangerous thing. I’ve had to do CPR on her. I never thought I would have to do CPR on my child," says Sheri.

https://katu.com/features/everyday-heroes/everyday-heroes-sherwood-mother-warns-about-sudep-after-sons-death
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Author: KATU News
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News post in at: November 4, 2024, 3:03 am.

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