Juniper is a happy 20-month-old who is full of smiles and is very social. She loves watching other kids and playing with her two brothers.
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nWhen Juniper was just 6 months old, her parents noticed her making some unusual movements. They took her to the emergency room, but they were told ‘not to worry.’
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nSensing something wasn’t right, her parents took her to Doernbecher’s where doctors performed an EEG of her brain activity. There, she was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy called Infantile Spasms. Juniper was having hundreds of seizures each day.
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nJuniper endured many forms of treatments, including a high dose steroid treatment, but nothing seemed to work.
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nShe had her first brain surgery at UCLA in hopes that it would stop the seizures. Juni was seizure free for two and a half months.
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nHowever, the seizures returned and in January of 2021, Juniper had a second surgery that removed the right hemisphere of her brain. This surgery would cause her to have partial vision loss and weakness on the left half of her body.
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nThree weeks after the surgery, Juniper’s seizures returned. Her parents continue to collaborate with her doctors to find a way to control the seizures.
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nEven after everything she has gone through, Juniper defies the odds by slowly developing. While she is developmentally delayed, with permanent disabilities, she has the loudest laugh and biggest smile. This will be a lifelong journey for her as she fights this battle.
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nJuniper will be adopted as a Sparrow to Parrish Middle School. Students will work hard to raise money for Juniper through sponsored community service.