Christina, In Her Own Words

[music playing]

Narrator: Christina Santhouse was just seven years old when her entire life changed.

Christina Santhouse: My first seizure came in the summer of 1995. My dad noticed a small tremor in my ankle. The tremors progressed into seizures in a matter of weeks and months. The seizures eventually overtook my entire body.

Narrator: Christina had developed Rasmussen's encephalitis, a rare and incurable neurological disorder.

Christina Santhouse: I was having over 150 grand mal seizures a day. Prior to getting sick, I was a very active child. I was the all-American girl. When I started school again in September, I was in a wheelchair. I couldn't go outside for recess and play with my friends.

Narrator: Doctors suggested that Christina undergo a hemispherectomy, a rare and dramatic brain surgery that involves removing one cerebral hemisphere-- literally half of the brain.

Christina Santhouse: The surgery ended up taking 14 hours. Immediately after surgery, I can remember hearing my mother's voice. "Christine, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand." I was able to squeeze her hand. And I asked my surgeon afterwards-- of course I was seven-- how he was able to not go to the bathroom for that long.

I was in excruciating pain. These migraines persisted for weeks and months after the surgery. And I was absolutely worried that I was going to lose who I was prior to surgery.

I had to go through a process of learning to accept myself again. Since the right side of my brain was taken out, the whole left side of my body was now affected. So when I walk, my gait is compromised. How could you lose half your brain and be the same person that you were?

The doctors told me some of the issues that I would have in relating to creativity, and math, and understanding emotions. Because that's what the right brain really controlled. I've learned to compensate. My brain's going to function the way it's going to function.

I did have emotional and spiritual changes after surgery. I was able to develop a purpose for my life. I knew that I wanted it to get into a career where I could help someone. I ended up choosing speech language pathology. My work gives me a chance to give back to a world that I feel like gave me so much.

I found my strength to get through the seizures for my mother and my father, who are an incredible source of support for me. If I could talk to myself prior to my surgery, as a seven-year-old, I think I would say, "You're stronger than you know. You're going to have difficult times. But you need to find the strength within yourself. And when you can't find that strength, to look to the others around you. Because they will boost you up when you need some guidance and some strength."

I haven't had a seizure in the past 19 years. And that's something I am incredibly thankful and blessed' to be able to say.

[music playing]