Finding Strength After Seizures: How One Reno Mom Turned Her Pain Into Purpose

When my daughter Carolynn had her first grand mal seizure at just four years old, my world stopped. In that moment, it felt like I was watching my child slip away and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I knew what was happening medically — but emotionally, it felt like I was losing her.

What followed was a whirlwind of hospital visits, medications, sleepless nights, and fear of the unknown. But what no one prepares you for is the quiet aftermath — the emotional exhaustion, the financial strain, and the way it ripples through an entire family. Siblings often feel scared or forgotten, and parents carry a heavy load of guilt, worry, and burnout.

A few years later, my youngest son, Virgil, also began having seizures. Once again, life shifted overnight. Managing two children with health challenges while fighting my own battles — an autoimmune disease and later, thyroid cancer — tested me in every way possible. There were moments I felt like I couldn’t keep going, but I did, because my children needed me to.

Out of that pain, I found purpose. I founded the Carolynn Children & Family Foundation, a Reno-based nonprofit dedicated to helping families raising children with disabilities not just survive — but truly thrive. Our mission is to support the whole family — providing programs for siblings, emotional and mental health support for parents, and community connections that remind families they’re not alone.

We’ve partnered with local businesses to host art therapy nights, family yoga fundraisers, poetry events, and community gatherings that bring people together while supporting small businesses in the 775. Every event reminds me how deeply connected we all are — families, entrepreneurs, and neighbors trying to create something meaningful out of hardship.

Living with chronic illness and surviving cancer has given me a deep appreciation for the strength that comes from community. My goal now is to bridge those worlds — helping both families with special needs children and small business owners thrive through collaboration, compassion, and visibility.

If you’re reading this and you’ve ever felt like life knocked the wind out of you — know that purpose can rise from pain. Ours certainly did.