When 6-month-old Cassidy was just a day old, her mother, Rose Ann Alwell, knew something was not quite right. Cassidy’s breathing was labored, and her movements were not like those of a typical newborn. Doctors immediately transferred Cassidy to Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas.

“To not know what was wrong with our baby was our worst nightmare,” Alwell said. “We felt extremely helpless.”

Doctors at Dell Children’s suggested Cassidy undergo testing at the hospital’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. There, the Alwells were introduced to Dr. Dave Clarke, epileptologist and medical director of the program. Based on Cassidy’s test results, Clarke told the Alwells she suffered from epilepsy.

Epilepsy, a medical condition that occurs when there is a sudden, brief change in how the brain works, is most commonly recognized by epileptic seizures. This occurs when brain cells are not synching properly, and a person’s consciousness, movement or actions change for a brief time.

In Cassidy’s case, she experienced about eight to 10 seizures a day, even while on anti-seizure medication.

Roughly 1 percent of children have epilepsy in the United States. The disorder can often be difficult to manage. In fact, in about 30 to 40 percent of children, anti-seizure medications are ineffective.

To help lessen the occurrence and severity of Cassidy’s seizures, Clarke laid out all options for the Alwells, including brain surgery.

“Deciding to perform brain surgery on a small infant is not an easy decision,” Clarke said. “It took a team of specialists, along with the Alwells, to closely examine all the benefits and risks associated with epilepsy surgery.”

Cassidy’s first surgery consisted of a three-hour procedure to map out the location in her brain where the seizures were occurring. Just days later, Cassidy underwent a second surgery to remove the specific portion of her brain responsible for triggering the seizures.

“Before, she was very withdrawn and would look at you with a blank stare,” Alwell said. “Now she’s expressive. We brought home a different baby after the surgery. She started laughing in the hospital, she interacts and she even found her feet for the first time. It’s a miracle. They gave us our baby back.”

The National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) recently recognized the epilepsy center at Dell Children’s as a Level 4 center, the highest designation given. That means patients like Cassidy and families from all over the region can benefit from the most up-to-date technology available and some of the highest-quality specialists around.

According to NAEC guidelines, fourth-level epilepsy centers serve as regional or national referral sites. The Level 4 designation is given to hospitals and medical centers that provide complex forms of intensive neurodiagnostics monitoring, as well as extensive medical, neuropsychological and psychosocial treatment.

Centers of this ranking offer complete epilepsy evaluations, surgical procedures and complex operations, including the use of intracranial electrodes.

Dell Children’s is the only hospital in Central Texas with a Level 4 designation.

The Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at Dell Children’s has a six-bed monitoring unit and the latest diagnostic equipment, including a cortical stimulator for mapping the brain and a functional MRI.

Clarke leads a team of highly trained specialists and subspecialists, including neurosurgeon Dr. Mark Lee, neurologists, a neuropsychologist, a neuropharmacologist, a neuroradiologist, epileptologists, nurses, EEG technicians, a dedicated epilepsy coordinator and project coordinators.

“We work together as a cohesive unit to bring advanced epilepsy care to children all over the region and country,” Clarke said.

Last year, Dell Children’s treated nearly 200 patients, including many who were resistant to anti-seizure medication. This year, Clarke estimates about 480 children will go through the program.

He says Dell Children’s is well-equipped to handle the sharp increase in patients because it recruited some of the nation’s top specialists in advance. The team has treated children from Mississippi and Georgia, as well as several international patients.

“What I saw at Dell Children’s when I decided to join the team was all the pieces needed to create an outstanding epilepsy center that provides both medical and surgical treatment modalities,” Clarke said. “It’s rewarding to have all of our hard work recognized as a leading center for epilepsy management.”

Clarke said he hopes this highest designation gives the program both national and international recognition. He also says being a Level 4 center will translate into more clinical trials that will study novel techniques in the treatment of epilepsy.

It has been several months since Cassidy’s surgery, and she’s virtually seizure-free.

“I couldn’t have asked for a group of better skilled doctors and nurses,” Alwell said. “They involved us in every decision and clearly laid out what would happen before, during and after surgery.

“It was so wonderful to stay in Austin because we had our support system here. We felt so fortunate that we didn’t have to travel to another city for Cassidy’s treatment.”

For more information about the Dell Children’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, call 512-324-3380, or visit www.dellchildrens.net.