Christopher Ames, Jr.

Age: 10
Grade: 5
Market: Carlsbad, California

Christopher Ames is a thoughtful and curious boy who loves skiing, swimming and boogie-boarding. He makes quite an impression on those around him, especially when he’s acting as an advocate for kids who have epilepsy and seizure disorders.

He describes his various seizure symptoms as “having the floppies” or “my mouth locks and I can’t talk.” No longer unsure about what to do, today he is comfortable alerting an adult if he’s having a seizure – even his classmates now understand about his “brain storms” and what to do if they see Christopher having one.

Regardless of his father’s deployment to Iraq and the demands on his mother to navigate the doctors, schools, and her full-time job, Christopher is fun-loving, creative, and full of confidence. With help from the local Epilepsy Foundation affiliate in San Diego, proper medicine, and incredible support at his school, he is truly thriving.

“I would like people to know that we are just like other kids,” Christopher said. “I want the people who make laws to make one to help kids like me not get the floppies.”