By Lauren Wanko
Correspondent
11-year-old Sammy Buggle is a typical sixth grader. She loves to swing high above the grass, play with dolls and Legos, too. But unlike many other kids her age, Sammy does all this while suffering from about 100 seizures a day.
“Sometimes kids make fun of me and also it’s hard. Sometimes I zone off when the teacher is talking and I don’t know what he said,” Buggle said.
At three and a half years old the Matawan resident was diagnosed with generalized epilepsy.
“Epilepsy is when someone has one seizure or more in greater than a 24-hour period with a propensity to have further seizures in their life,” said Dr. Joshua Mendelson.
Mendelson, a doctor at Monmouth Medical Center, says seizures are a disconnect or miscommunication electrically between neurons in the brain.
“Neurons are types of cells that talk to each other and they talk to each other electrically and when there is an abundance of electrical activity or an error in that communication, seizures can occur,” he said.
Patients typically visit Dr. Mendelson after experiencing things like lip-smacking, staring off and convulsions. MRIs, CT scans and electroencephalogram testing, which detects electrical activity in the brain, are all used to diagnose patients here.
When asked what happens when you has these seizures, Buggle said, “Sometimes I wave my hand in front of my face, and sometimes I just zone off for a little while.”
The Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey indicates an estimated 130,000 people are battling the disorder in the state.
“The term epilepsy, people often don’t like it in the office, they refer to it as the ‘E word.’ When I tell someone they have epilepsy, they tend to think, ‘Oh, well that means I’m going to be cognitively impaired. It’s going to be a progressive disorder and its going to disable me.’ The truth is that’s not always the case,” Dr. Mendelson said.
Dr. Mendenlson says although there’s no cure for epilepsy, there are many effective treatments. 60 percent of patients can manage the condition with medication, while others many need more aggressive forms of therapy, like surgical procedures. Many people battle the disorder for life, while the doctor says, others can outgrow it.
Still the condition can significantly interfere with some patient’s lives, Mendelson says. Some suffer with depression, memory dysfunction, personality issues or the inability to drive. Buggle wishes she could ride a 2-wheel bike. This past weekend the sixth grader hosted a fundraiser for the Epilepsy Foundation.
Buggle says the passion comes from her heart. “I want other kids who have epilepsy to have them be able to help cure it,” she said.
She even created a video blog about life with epilepsy.
“I did it because I wanted people to see that epilepsy doesn’t stop me,” Buggle said.
She wants to inspire kids with epilepsy to dream big. It’s something she’s already doing. She started modeling, has plans to become an actress and is perfecting her pageant wave for a sparkly crown.