Tynan’s life-changing procedure: I HAD TO GET A BRAIN IMPLANT.
REAL READER TYNAN SHARES HOW BRAIN SURGERY FINALLY STOPPED HIS SEIZURES:
Since the age of 8, Tynan Davidson has lived with the constant fear that at any moment, he could have a seizure. It didn’t matter where he was or what he was doing — a seizure could happen at any time or place without warning: “In front of my whole class, on stage, trying to make a putt to win a golf tournament,” Tynan lists off. “[My seizures] would attract a lot of attention. Everyone would look, stare, point and laugh.” The California native has epilepsy, a condition that causes seizures whenever nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed. “Imagine walking around with a firecracker in your front pocket, knowing that at any moment it could explode,” Tynan explains to J-14. “My firecracker is epilepsy.”
I’VE HAD HUNDREDS OF SEIZURES!
Now age 14, Tynan says he’s had over a hundred seizures in his lifetime. Doctors have tried giving Tynan different combinations of medicine to control his seizures, but his epilepsy proved to be drug-resistant. Tynan says his seizures are painful and have led to some pretty embarrassing moments, but above all, the worst part about epilepsy is constantly coming face-to-face with his greatest fears: “I have always hated blood, needles and hospitals,” Tynan admits. “Epilepsy makes me confront these things I hate all the time.” With no medicine that could stop Tynan’s seizures, doctors suggested one last resort: brain surgery.
PART OF MY SKULL WAS REMOVED!
In August 2018, Tynan bravely decided to undergo three brain surgeries at UCLA’s Mattel’s Children’s Hospital. Part of his skull was removed so doctors could insert a Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) device, which monitors brain waves and responds to unusual brain activity within milliseconds to prevent a seizure before it happens. The device gives off stimulating pulses to help brainwaves return to normal, stopping a seizure in its tracks. Tynan is one of only six kids who have a RNS implant, and so far, he hasn’t had a single seizure since his surgery! “I am so lucky,” he says. The RNS device has not only been able to stop Tynan’s seizures, it changed his self-esteem. “I feel confident,” he smiles. Tynan says his goal now is to become a neurosurgeon. “Can you imagine how incredible it would be to save someone from seizures or to invent a device or treat a condition that would make someone’s life 100 times better?” he notes. Pretty amazing, Tynan!