Jamestown  (CSi)  November is National Epilepsy Awareness month, and on Friday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2, we talked with a Jamestown girl, 10 year old Braelon Geerdes, who is bringing awareness to National Epilepsy Awareness Month after she was diagnosed with the neurological disorder.

Braelon is a fourth-grader at St. John’s Academy, who was in a music class when she was 9-years old when the teacher noticed Braelon’s  face twitching and eyes rolling back.

Also on our show, Braelon’s mom, Tara Geerdes said, following that seizure, Braelon was referred Sanford Children’s Hospital in Fargo, and a pediatric neurologist, where Braelon had a seizure while undergoing an electroencephalograph, helping  doctors localize the activity in the right side of her brain.

Braelon has since be placed on medication, which is helping to control the seizures, but not eliminate them, as she has fewer twitches or seizures and continues to live a normal life, but staying away from contact sports.  She does however participate in other sports, with head protection, and is active in other ways, playing the guitar, and the piano, and she  sings at public events.

Braelon has had a brief and sometimes undetectable absence seizure, which Tara said is a less severe seizure, one of 41 types of seizures.  Epilepsy can range in severity  from occasional seizures to over 200 a day.

Also on our show, Braelon’s Grandmother, Sharylin Geerdes a nurse at Ave Maria’s Heritage Center in Jamestown, said she is looking to form a Jamestown area support group.

The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota, is presently serving a portion of North Dakota, offering support to cover expenses with Epilepsy seizure detection devices such as a sleep mat, sleep pillows, and a smartwatch all alerting parents, or in some cases a teacher, of the presence of a seizure.

Braelon said “Team Braelon,” has been formed bringing awareness to Epilepsy in the community, which includes helping with fundraising bake sales, and other public appearances and participation.

Braelon said the team consists of classmates, family, and friends.

Sharylin said “Team Braelon,” will be on hand at a bake sale fundraiser on Saturday November 25, 2017 at the Buffalo Mall.

Also “Team Braelon” will have a purple float in the Jamestown Dazzle Parade, with family and friends, the evening of November 24, through Downtown Jamestown.  Purple being the color of epilepsy awareness.

Braelon and others also hand out wrist bands, calling attention to #RiseAboveSeizures, and the website efmn.org

Sharylin pointed out that from the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota, Fargo office, the Regional Coordinator, Janice Tweet,  has visited Braelon’s school,  St. John’s Academy in Jamestown, to educate the school staff and students about epilepsy.

Tara said as a result, St. John’s Academy is now a “Seizure Smart School.”

On Friday November 17th the University of Jamestown nursing students participated in an epilepsy awareness presentation.

For more information or to arrange a presentation, or learn about starting an epilepsy support group, or make a donation, contact Sharylin Geerdes at 701-320-6441, or Tara Geerdes at 701-799-8922.

Brochures are also available by contacting Sharylin.

The Epilepsy Awareness group is sponsoring a Bake Sale at the vendor show at the Buffalo Mall on Saturday 11-24-17.  Come see the little purple elves from Team Braelon at work.  We would welcome and donations of baked items, cracker mixes or anything else you may want to donate for this cause.  Cash donations are always welcome.  All proceeds will go to the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota/North Dakota and The Chelsea Hutchinson Foundation.