Jul. 1--Having a facility for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy in Lubbock would have saved Terry and Kelly Crofoot a lot of heartache.

But a decade ago, when their son Clay experienced his first seizure, there was no such facility here.

Until today, in fact, patients had to travel to Dallas or Phoenix to visit a facility housing the technology needed to study and treat complicated cases of epilepsy, a condition that affects more than 2.5 million people in the U.S.

In 2007, however, the Crofoot family, including Clay's grandparents Jay and Virginia Crofoot, committed to change that. Together, they pledged $2 million to establish a comprehensive epilepsy program in Lubbock.

Included in that program: an adult and children's epilepsy monitoring unit at Covenant Medical Center and an endowed chair to be held by a leading academic epileptologist at Texas Tech's Health Sciences Center.

The opening of the facility, named The Jay and Virginia Crofoot Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, was celebrated Tuesday at Covenant.

The unit, said HSC President John Baldwin and Covenant Health System President CEO Melinda Clark, marks a unique collaboration between HSC physicians and Covenant's caregiving staff.

"This collabration is a symbol of the rebirth of neurology in Lubbock," Baldwin said. "It will bring many benefits to the community."

For Kelly Crofoot, it means something else.

"It is the fruition of our hopes, dreams and vision of better care for epilepsy patients in Lubbock," she said.

The availability of treatment here is a gift to others battling epilepsy that the Crofoots did not have during their own initial struggles with the disease.

Described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as "a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures," 150,000 people develop epilepsy every year. The causes, symptoms and severity differ on a person-to-person basis, meaning there is no "one size fits all" approach to treatment.

According to K.J. Oommen, director of Covenant's Epilepsy Unit and the Crofoot Chair of Epilepsy at the HSC, while medication successfully controls symptoms in about 60 percent of cases, for the other 40 percent, medication simply doesn't work.

"This facility is for the 30 or 40 percent for whom medication is not working," he said.

Clay Crofoot, a tall and lean 19-year-old who works on the family ranch, is living proof of that 40 percent.

Experiencing his first seizure at age 8, he has battled the disease for more than 10 years. A combination of diet and medication allows him to describe his condition now as "much better since January."

In the beginning though, it was "very difficult," Kelly Crofoot said.

"I didn't understand epilepsy. Once they had got to the end of what they could do for him here it was a guessing game."

The family traveled from coast to coast -- and beyond -- visiting experts and seeking treatment options. They have occasionally turned to alternative medicine, including acupuncture, homeopathy and spiritual healing, Clay Crofoot said.

"If we'd had a facility here 10 years ago, we wouldn't have had to make all those trips," he said.

A 2004 surgery was unsuccessful. "It made matters worse," said Kelly Crofoot. "He was having seizures every 15 minutes."

As is often the case, Clay's disorder took its toll on the whole family.

"You're always looking for the answer," Kelly Crofoot said.

"When you think you've solved it and it doesn't work, it's very disappointing."

"It pervades every part of your life," Terry Crofoot added. "He had to be with us and we had to be with him no matter what. It was hard as he got older and he needed his independence."

John DeToledo, chairman of neurology at the HSC, said having a facility here represents "a life-changing opportunity for patients with epilepsy."

Comprising four rooms packed with imaging and monitoring equipment, the new unit will allow doctors to identify seizure types and locate the part of the brain that is responsible for them.

"Often seizures are not controlled because they are not diagnosed correctly," Oommen said. "(The new equipment) allows us to get a firsthand look at what the patient is going through and what is going on."

Referring to the unit as the "hub" of the program, Oommen said education and research were other important initiatives.

Research, Kelly Crofoot said, is among the most exciting aspects of the new program.

"I'd like to see Lubbock be on the forefront of research, not just for finding new medications, but to find out why seizures happen and how they can be stopped," she said.

To comment on this story:

sarah.nightingale@lubbockonline.com l 766-8796 shelly.gonzales@lubbockonline.com l 766-8747

HEALTH/Family's experience with epilepsy leads to pledge of $2 million to establish city program to help other victims

Epilepsy

--Definition: A neurological disorder resulting from the generation of electrical signals inside the brain, causing recurring seizures.

--Symptoms: Temporary confusion, staring spells lasting five to 10 seconds, loss of consciousness and incontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs are among the many symptoms.

--Causes: Often unidentifiable. Or, may be caused by genetic factors, head trauma, medical or developmental disorders.

--Current treatment: Anti-seizure drugs or surgery.

--Prevalence: Affects about 2.5 million Americans.

<< -- 07/02/2009>>

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