2006 Kids Speak Up! Participant Biography

Alyssa Autumn Asher

Age: 10
Grade: 3
Hometown: Princeton, Kentucky

"I try to teach people about epilepsy, but some don't seem to care. I think that people who have seizures should be treated like everyone else."

An active Girl Scout who enjoys educating her community about epilepsy, Alyssa Asher is a remarkable 10 year old with a compelling story. In July 2001, Alyssa experienced her first seizure, but her parents did not recognize the symptoms. Later that year, she was hospitalized after an episode of status epilepticus, which caused permanent damage to her left side, as well as, failure to her cognitive and coordination functions.

After taking various medications without success, Alyssa was implanted with the vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) in 2004. Since the surgery, her quality of life has improved, but she still has a long road ahead. Though she enrolled in school this year, she finds it difficult to attend due to her condition.

Princeton, Kentucky's local online newspaper, The Times Leader Online, recently featured an article about Alyssa and the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana entitled Alyssa Asher is Adovcate for Epilepsy Foundation.

Alyssa is eager to participate as an advocate in the 2006 Kids Speak Up! program to shed light on the difficulties that people with epilepsy experience.

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