Two years ago, 15-year-old Elmer started to have convulsions when he was in school. The first time he had a seizure he was unconscious for five seconds, but now he is unconscious for much longer, and he often loses his memory. He gets seizures two to three times per month.
His family is sad because Elmer has only studied through elementary school. He had to leave school two years ago because of his condition–the school refused to have him attend the school for fear that he could get worse at any time and they would not know what to do. Elmer loves to eat fried chicken and on weekends go out and play soccer with his three brothers.
Elmer works alongside his dad in the fields, cultivating and harvesting beans, squash, and potato to sell. His mother weaves traditional Maya textiles which she sells in the market. His family has a hard time because someone always has to be with Elmer to make sure he is not alone if he has a seizure. Although he and his parents work hard, they do not have the resources to give Elmer the expensive labs and imaging he needs for his diagnosis and buy the medicines he needs to control his seizures.
This treatment, which will cost $967, will give Elmer the chance to finally understand what is causing his seizures, following a comprehensive diagnostic workup. This will allow our medical team to prescribe him the medications he needs to control his seizures. This will allow him to return to school, be more independent, and help his parents and brothers not to feel so stressed.
