Diane's Diary #24: Finally Meeting!
Note: This is Excerpt #24 in Diane’s Diary. If you would like to read previous excerpts, you can find Diane’s Diary 1-23 here.
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I had spoken with Erin (Mom) and Kaitlyn (daughter) and been texting and emailing with Erin for months and we were so happy to finally meet one another in person. It was also great seeing the twinkle in Kaitlyn’s eyes.
As a refresher, I learned of Kaitlyn in 2019. She has been diagnosed with epilepsy and she suffers from regular seizures. She has been waiting for 18 months (or more) for a seizure detection dog and this family invited me to film their journey before and after Kaitlyn's service dog arrives.
I had originally thought our first filming would be casual hanging out with the family in their kitchen or checking out the kids’ rooms. But once again, it was time to be flexible. The family had just moved into this house a few weeks before and Kaitlyn’s room was still not unpacked, and she didn’t want us in there which I totally understand (teenagers!). So, we started with the sit-down interviews in the dining room.
Erin had to run an errand, and Kaitlyn joined me first. She is so lovely and gentle and well-spoken. We wanted to learn about her and what she remembers of her epilepsy diagnosis and what having seizures are like from her point of view. She’s a really sweet typical teenager and the fact that she was willing to let us into her private life so that this information can be brought to the world speaks volumes about her character.
Then we spoke with Erin who is quite a force. Gentle and loving but she is amazing. Erin is a critical care nurse, volunteers at the aquarium on the other side of the state, and also enjoys participating (and winning!) some pageants. She shared that she was divorced from Kaitlyn’s dad. She met, Darren, her current husband and they wanted to grow their family.
Kaitlyn’s younger sister, Mikaela, was born prematurely and was in the NICU for her first six weeks. It was right when Erin came home from the hospital that Kaitlyn began having seizures. So, now we have a mom who has a brand-new preemie baby in the hospital, and an 8-year-old who is being diagnosed with epilepsy. Erin spent her time running from one hospital where she was spending time with her new baby and then to doctors with Kaitlyn trying to figure out how to help her.
Wait until you meet Erin in the film. She is so composed. I suspect her medical training offers her the equanimity that she needs to conjure up both professionally and personally… and on a regular basis.
Be sure to join me in the next blog excerpt when I share where they live and how that has impacted Kaitlyn’s health.
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