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Coastal Bend child struggling with chronic atonic seizures

One particular form of epilepsy has turned a Corpus Christi family's lives upside down.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes seizures and affects millions across the country. Those affected range from newborns to adults.

One particular form of epilepsy has turned a Corpus Christi family's lives upside down.

15-month-old Jeremiah Hernandez experienced "chronic atonic" seizures that affect him daily.

"He can just be sitting there playing and all of a sudden he'll turn blue and purple in the face and go back," Jeremiah's mother Mary Ballejo said.

Ballejo said sometimes the seizures are so bad, he stops breathing.

"It's very scary," Ballejo said.

He suffers from one of many kinds of epilepsy, and the seizures can happen any time.

"And of course that is going to lead into falling to the ground," pediatric neurologist Dr. Marcos Valdez said. "The child is coming to experience injuries. Especially in the face."

Valdez showed examples of how these types of epileptic seizures can lead to injuries.

"They can experience like brief loss of consciousness," Valdez said. "They can regain it for a few seconds. They just get up and continue doing their regular activities."

Jeremiah's family is seeking a second opinion for treatment. They said the current one is not working.

"We will be taking him to the Texas Children's Hospital out there in Houston," Ballejo said.

The family has located a doctor that knows about chronic atonic seizures but doesn't accept their insurance. So they have set up a GoFundMe page and will also be holding a fundraiser on Saturday.

The fundraiser will take place at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Roper's. 

Until then the family hopes to raise enough funding to get Jeremiah the help he needs, one dollar at a time, and one prayer at a time.

For more information, you can call 361-765-0353.

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