Daniel George Stanton was born on March 2, 2005. Danny’s birth was successful in every way. He was welcomed home by his sister Mary Grace and his brother Johnny.

Danny had his first seizure at age two at 10:30 at night, on September 20, 2007. He was sleeping next to my wife as she read and watched the news. His eyes rolled back and he shook. We did not know what was happening. We dialed 911 then rushed him to our next-door neighbor, who is a paramedic. Danny seized for almost 10 minutes. On that very night, we had a battery of tests done on Danny at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. There was no known reason or cause found for Danny’s seizure. We were told that some seizures in children have no known cause and that kids often outgrow them. The experience was terrifying. Danny began sleeping in bed with us after that first seizure.

Danny had a second seizure while sleeping just over a month later on October 29, 2007. Danny was again right there in our bed with us and we able to address the seizure via methods we had learned from our doctors. Turn him on his side. Protect him. Call 911 if the seizure lasts for an extended period of time. After that second seizure, Danny had an MRI. Again, no underlying cause was found for Danny’s seizures. Danny was then put on a variety of medicines to control the seizures, and regular EEGs were scheduled and performed. His neurologist determined that he had childhood seizure disorder.

Nighttime was a scary time. Danny continued to sleep in bed with us as we tried various medicines and combinations of medicines. Danny’s day-in and day-out behavior was completely normal. He was athletic, inquisitive, engaging, social, and, more than anything, affectionate. As we continued meeting with Danny’s neurologist for regular check-ups, we became more and more comfortable with the idea that we were doing all we could for Danny and that we were on a clear and well-defined path. We were told that a slightly abnormal EEG might just be Danny’s ‘normal.’

After sleeping with us for a half a year, Danny began to return to his own bed. On hundreds of occasions we left our bed to check on Danny, and we frequently just brought him back to bed with us. We caught him twice more having a seizure in his sleep. Once, as his lips turned blue, and while we were screaming on the phone with 911, we got a glimpse of what was to come. Still, there was never the mention from doctors that death could occur. We informed our doctors of every event. We continued to trust and believe that we were doing all that we could.

After a year of no known seizures, Danny returned again to his own bed. As he turned four and had gone without a known seizure for 18 months, we thought that our course of action had been successful and that his neurologist was right: Danny would, through medicine and time, outgrow his seizure disorder. We were optimistic and giddy. It was like a rebirth for us and for Danny.

. . . . .

We found Danny’s lifeless body in his bed at 7:15AM on December 12, 2009. That was a Saturday morning. The house became frantic. We attempted to revive him ourselves. Our neighbor attempted to revive him. Fire personnel attempted to revive him in our home. Doctors and nurses attempted to revive him at the hospital.

On the previous Tuesday, December 8, 2009, we had taken Danny for a scheduled appointment with his neurologist. That day, Danny had a one-hour EEG done while sleeping. We met with his doctor after the EEG and went over the results. There was still some abnormal activity showing up, but a lesser amount than the previous EEG showed. A little progress, we were told. The medicine was working. We increased Danny’s dosage that day to accommodate a slight weight gain since his last visit.

How many seizures did Danny have that we did not catch? We will never know. In Danny’s name and memory, the Danny Did Foundation works to prevent our experience from becoming that of another family’s. Through awareness, support, education, research, and the execution of ideas we will find a way to, at the very least, provide a sense of peace and stability to all connected to the condition of seizures while sleeping.

In hindsight, we see that the only way to have a chance at stopping a seizure is by being able to address a seizure. On the several occasions that we caught Danny in a seizure, we were able to be there for him, call 911, and utilize medicine if necessary. Because of our perception that Danny was not having any seizures, and because we were not made aware that death could result from one of his seizures, we are where we’re at today. If the extreme seriousness of Danny’s condition had been presented to us, not a night would have passed that we did not constantly monitor Danny in one way or another.

. . . . .

Danny did take his time in life. Danny did engage others in his life. Danny did enjoy his life. That’s the spirit of and the force behind the Danny Did Foundation. Carry Danny’s name with you. Carry Danny’s love with you. And help us as we find a way to accomplish our mission: to prevent deaths caused by seizures.

Read more on how Danny Does continue to have an impact on the world.