Children with Epilepsy Discover the Fun of NillyNoggin EEG Caps
By Heather Shuker, Hannahtopia
According to the CDC, 1 in 26 people in the United States has epilepsy. That’s 3.4 million people and 470,000 of those are children. These children with epilepsy deal with some serious struggles, day in and day out.
All require at least one EEG test and many face countless EEG tests. An EEG can be a very traumatic procedure for a young child or even a child that has some disabilities or some developmental delays. My Hannahtopia NillyNoggin Caps have been a successful effort to lessen the trauma of these experiences.
Making a Difference for Kids with Epilepsy
My daughter Hannah is one of those children. She is sixteen years old and Hannah suffers from severe intractable epilepsy. Hannah’s seizures started at the age of four months old. Her main seizure type is a tonic-clonic which is also known as a grand mal seizure. They are the drop-to-the-floor, body stiffen, violently thrashing type of seizure and she has had more than 100,000 of them.
In 2017, my daughter went into respiratory failure and we spent 13 days in ICU. Those days were my turning point. I needed to make a difference in the lives of these epilepsy warriors that are living with these medical challenges.
I created the NillyNoggin EEG Cap after witnessing Hannah go through countless EEG's over 15 years. Each procedure was traumatic for her. The EEG test can cause a great deal of anxiety for the person having the test as well as the parents or caregivers. The gauze and tape that is wrapped around the head to protect the EEG hardware can be visually terrifying.
The NillyNoggin EEG Cap helps reduce that anxiety. It provides a little comfort, color and fun to the experience for the child. It adds safety and functionality for the EEG technician and hospital staff.
And it really brings a lot of infectious positive energy to the room. EEG technicians, nurses, doctors, family and friends can’t help but amplify the vibe, giving the child the positive attention he or she needs.
There are children who know that they’re going to get an EEG and they are actually a little excited about it. Because they know that they get to wear one of these cool hats.
But the thing is, families don’t know when their child is going to need an EEG. Often you go to the ER for various reasons and the physician will order an EEG test. It might be the first one your child has ever received, which means you won’t know anything about what the test is going to be like for them. Or it may be your child’s 10th EEG. Either way we are covering up the medical look of the procedure.
Our mission is for every child that requires an EEG to have access to a NillyNoggin EEG Cap. My goal is to get them in the hospitals, so they are there and ready. When a child is told they are going to get an EEG they can pick from one of our many varieties of patterns.
The NillyNoggin EEG Cap is such a small thing, but it’s amazing what a difference it makes. It boosts their confidence and lets these kids be children again.
About the Author:
NillyNoggin EEG Caps are available from Hannahtopia.com. Hannahtopia was founded by the mother-daughter duo of Heather and Hannah. They have made it their mission to brighten life for children with special needs and medical challenges as well as their families! Heather created the NillyNoggin EEG Cap to bring fun, color, comfort, safety and function to the EEG procedure. Hannahtopia features many products that bring “happy” to the lives of children and their families. These include colorful blankets, incontinence pads, and pillowcases; stuffed animals; fun G-tube covers; happy accessories and more. The NillyNoggin EEG Cap and the exclusive Hannahtopia pillowcases are made in the USA by a Pittsburgh-based ministry that helps vulnerable adults and at-risk children and youth by tending to their needs for today as well as their hopes for tomorrow. Learn more at https://hannahtopia.com/.
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