Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance

11/04/2026

Epilepsy Awareness Month Fact: When seizures don’t respond to medication, the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is higher. We know that this is a hard thing to read as a parent. But there is hope - research shows epilepsy surgery can reduce that risk by about two-thirds, making it three times smaller! It’s also exactly why we don’t want any family to wait for a surgical evaluation.

Remember - having a surgical evaluation doesn't mean you've decided your child will have epilepsy surgery. It means you've decided to understand all your options so that you can make an informed decision about the best next steps.

🔗 Learn more: https://ow.ly/XVu85102OfU

Month

11/04/2026

Our board chair, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh's Chief of Neurosurgery, Dr. Taylor Abel, shares how the American Epilepsy Society helps clinicians and caregivers of children with drug-resistant seizures understand why equitable access to epilepsy surgery is important.

It's Epilepsy Awareness Month - please share!

11/03/2026

This Epilepsy Awareness Month we're also celebrating our parent support navigators who give back to our community by helping families in our community.

Meet Francesca Calloway, whose daughter had two epilepsy surgery for seizures - including infantile spasms - caused by a stroke.

"I became a parent supporter because I know firsthand how epilepsy can take over a family’s life. Before surgery, we lived in a constant state of emergency, managing fatigue, planning every second around seizure risks, and never sleeping through the night. Now that we’ve reclaimed our normalcy, I want to help other families move out of that ‘surviving’ stage."

To connect with Francesca or any of our parent support navigators, just go to https://ow.ly/coHo5102OaV

For kids with drug-resistant epilepsy, 10-yr survival is ~98% with surgery, 93% with VNS, 89% with medicine alone. Learn when to seek a surgical evaluation.

11/02/2026

Are you all-in to help us raise awareness about the life-saving nature of epilepsy surgery this month? Use our profile frame!

https://www.twibbonize.com/essl

11/02/2026

💜 Every child and family in our community has a unique story. Yours could help another.
November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about drug-resistant epilepsy, share our experiences, and remind families that epilepsy surgery can be a life-changing option.

This November, we're inviting you to turn your story into action.

✅ Start a fundraiser in honor of a child, family, or someone whose epilepsy journey has inspired you. ✅ Share why this mission matters to you and invite your friends and family to make a difference.

Together, we hope to raise $15,000 in celebration of PESA's 15th anniversary to help more families access specialized epilepsy care, support, and community.

It only takes a few minutes to create your fundraising page, and every gift makes a difference.

💜 Start your fundraiser: https://ow.ly/L7s45102NKh

11/02/2026

November is epilepsy awareness month - a special time where we raise awareness about the life-saving nature of epilepsy surgery and share important facts to help you advocate for your child.

We know it’s frightening to think that epilepsy can be fatal. We also know the idea of surgery can feel scary, too. But every parent deserves the facts. For children with drug-resistant epilepsy, a large study found that cranial epilepsy surgery plus medication was linked to an 83% lower chance of dying over the next 10 years, compared with medication alone. That’s a major drop in risk that can change a child’s future.

https://ow.ly/Gvx05102EI4

For kids with drug-resistant epilepsy, 10-yr survival is ~98% with surgery, 93% with VNS, 89% with medicine alone. Learn when to seek a surgical evaluation.

11/01/2026

On International Lennox Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) Awareness Day, VNS Therapy stands with people living with LGS and the families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals who support them. 💜💚

Together, we can raise awareness and give greater visibility to the LGS community.

U.S. Indication: VNS Therapy™ is an add-on neuromodulation treatment designed for people with drug-resistant epilepsy 4 years of age and older with partial onset seizures. VNS Therapy has not been approved for the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. VNS Therapy is approved as a treatment for focal-onset seizures (U.S.). Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome may include focal seizures. See Important Safety Information at http://www.vnstherapy.com/safety

10/30/2026

📣The Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) and the American Epilepsy Society have published a new and long overdue guideline on epilepsy surgery. One of the main messages is "individuals with drug-resistant epilepsy should be referred to a tertiary or quaternary epilepsy surgery center in a timely manner. The reported delays in diagnosing drug-resistant epilepsy and in referring patients for epilepsy surgery are unacceptable and must be significantly reduced."

Stay tuned for a blog post about this from us next week.

The CNS, in collaboration with AES, has published a NEW evidence-based guideline on epilepsy surgery. This is the first comprehensive update in more than two decades addressing the surgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy in adults and children. Read more in Neurosurgery: https://journals.lww.com/10.1227/neu.0000000000004254

10/30/2026

We're honored to collaborate with DEEP - Community Connections. Transformative Outcomes. on such an important topic.

10/29/2026

For 15 years, the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance has been helping families find answers, support, and hope. To celebrate, our board member Kaitlyn O’Connor, who had a hemispherectomy at age 12 for Rasmussen’s encephalitis, is sitting down with the clinicians on our board of directors who make this work possible.

First up: Dr. Aria Fallah, Clinical Director of Epilepsy Surgery at UCLA. Watch to get to know the people behind the care.

🎥 https://ow.ly/oMZH5101PHy