So over the past couple of months we have noticed these odd episodes that Aveline has been experiencing. We began to fear that she could potentially be having partial seizures. Her hands and arms would tense up and she would begin to shake but would stay full conscious. The episodes were quick and hard to capture on video. Of course at our neurology appointment last month we forgot to mention it to her doctor and sent an email a few days later asking about them. The doctor requested we try to capture one on video and email it to her.

After a month of trying to capture the episodes on camera, we finally got two. I sent them to her neurologist immediately on a Friday night. The following Monday I got an email back saying the doctor would be reviewing the videos that day and would get back to us before the end of business day.

A full day of checking my email awaiting a response and the email finally came. Aveline is not having seizures or spasms! Her episodes are called shutter attacks, they described them as not harmful to her and often a way of children expressing emotions. As you know Aveline only has a couple of words, but otherwise uses sign language to communicate. So it would make sense that she needed an outlet for her emotion outside of tantrums, biting and hitting. So she developed these little shutters. She does them when she is excited, when she is scared, etc. She is fully conscious, they just last a few seconds and then she carries on.

We are elated at how good God is! What a huge answer to prayers, and a weight lifted from our hearts and minds! She will likely outgrow it as she gets older and/or when she is able to better express herself verbally or through her signs. Thank you for your continued prayers and for your celebrations in answered prayers!