The Bagg family is located in northern British Columbia, Canada. Since birth, Kallysta Bagg has had epilepsy stemming from hypoxia, with low amounts of oxygen in the body tissues. At 15 months old, she had her first seizure, and her second seizure came a few months later. Medication like Keppra, widely used for epilepsy, provided Kallysta and her family with no relief as her attacks began to occur every day, never stopping on their own.

The Bagg family looked towards another option, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), also known as a “pacemaker for the brain”. In 2020, they proceeded with the VNS surgery. Kallysta is now five years old, and her seizures happen once a month.

Kallysta Bagg and her family partook in Seizing Hope to encourage other families to do their research, and communicate to others to trust their doctors, to empower them in their decision-making.

Eight years into her life, Sophie Cowin experienced her first seizure. Unlike the convulsing most seizure patients experience, Sophie has multifocal epilepsy not suitable for conventional resective surgery. This condition is especially threatening as it causes a person’s body temperature to sink very low. Treatment solely with medication was not an option for Sophie; she opted in for neurotechnology available only at a few centers around the world.

Sophie and her family walk us through hardships and hopes for drug resistant epilepsy.

Dr. Judy Illes is a Professor of Neurology, Distinguished University Scholar, and UBC Distinguished Scholar in Neuroethics at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She is Director of Neuroethics Canada at UBC, and faculty in the Brain Research Centre and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. Illes’ research focuses on the ethical, legal, social and policy challenges specifically at the intersection of the neurosciences and biomedical ethics. She has made groundbreaking contributions to neuroethical thinking for neuroscience discovery, clinical translation, and the commercialization of health care. In 2017, Illes was appointed to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest recognitions of its citizens.

Dr. McDonald is the Head of the Section of Neurosurgery at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg and an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at both the U of M and the University of British Columbia. He was born, raised and trained in Toronto, obtaining his medical degree and pursuing neurosurgical training at the University of Toronto. After a fellowship as Chief Clinical Fellow in Neurosurgery at the Hospital for Sick Children, he obtained a Masters degree from the Joint Centre for Bioethics at U of T. In 2016, he relocated to Vancouver to be the Head of Neurosurgery at BC Children’s Hospital and a faculty position at Neuroethics Canada. He has recently returned to Winnipeg as the Chair of the Section of Neurosurgery at the University of Manitoba and retains his association with Neuroethics Canada. His research focuses on ethical issues in the adoption of innovative neurosurgical procedures, especially neurotechnologies, and outcomes in pediatric epilepsy and hydrocephalus.

Dr. George Ibrahim is a pediatric neurosurgeon at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and an Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering at the Institute of Medical Sciences, and the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. His clinical and research interests include the surgical treatment of medically intractable epilepsy, spasticity and functional disorders in children.

Dr. Johann Roduit is a founding partner of Conexkt, a Certified B Corp innovation studio. Through his work, he fulfills his commitment to integrating ethics into the heart of technology, innovation, and design. Johann holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Ethics and Law from the University of Zurich, and has previously worked in the University’s Institute for Biomedical Ethics. He uses his expertise in ethics, science communication, and innovation to help clients positively impact their community.

Adam Wormald is a filmmaker who believes that nothing cuts to the core of human emotions like a well-told story. His company, Cassiar Film Co, helps businesses and organizations harness the power of video to inspire, educate, and entertain. He loves the challenge of taking complex ideas and making them accessible to a wide audience.