CHILD CARE
THE PEDIATRIC EPILEPSY PROJECT (PEP) AT UCLA SAVES LIVES BY RAISING FUNDS AND
AWARENESS FOR ONE OF THE PREMIER NEUROLOGICAL CLINICAL AND RESEARCH FACILITIES
IN THE COUNTRY
                                                                                                                   

What do you do when you know there's something wrong with your child? See a doctor, right? But what do you do when
you know there's something wrong with your child, but the doctor tells you everything is fine? This exasperating scenario
is more common than you think according to Vicki Forman, whose son has multiple disabilities. “A lot of parents of kids
with seizure disorder know that something is wrong with their child. They always say, 'I knew something was wrong and
the doctor didn't believe me.' I can't tell you the number of parents I've spoken to who have actually said that they had
to bring in a video to their pediatrician to prove what was happening to their child,” she says.

Help came to Forman and her son in the form of the Division of Pediatric Neurology at UCLA. So, when the Division of Pediatric Neurology at UCLA needed help, Forman along with some other indebted parents started the Pediatric Epilepsy Project at UCLA.

“The organization was started in 2002 through the Division of Pediatric Neurology at UCLA. The office manager there had a brilliant idea to create a parent support group. UCLA has support groups for reasons ranging from raising money for individual divisions to supporting the band. These individual parent support groups are allowed to use UCLA's 501c3 status to raise money in support of whatever group they have targeted. We are a parent support group whose mission it is to raise funds for the Division of Pediatric Neurology at UCLA. The idea came from within UCLA, but it had to reach out to the parents because it had to be parents who are involved according to the regulations of a parent support group,” Forman tells us.

But why would an outside group need to raise funds for a hospital, you ask? Well, all state run hospitals in California were and are victims to the state's nearly catastrophic budget crisis. “ UCLA—all of the University of CA system, I should say—function at the whim of the budget of the state of California. They do have outside sources of funding through grants and foundations. However, as the money started to run out in the state, all of the UC hospitals suffered. The financial issues devolved down to the actual divisions, so it forced the medical center to do some cost-cutting. And each division had to pick up the slack. That's the back story behind why we are raising money. This is an ongoing chronic financial problem that every hospital connected to UC is facing,” explains Forman.

The division handles neurological disorders, including epilepsy, Bell's Palsy, Cerebral Palsy, head trauma, developmental delay and failure to thrive, pseudo-seizures, seizures, Tourette's, Sturge Weber Syndrome and much more. “Every single one of us has been to another neurologist, had no success with our child and then finally went to UCLA—managed to get the referral, managed to get there—to discover that they are the best at what they do. These doctors have made significant differences in our children, in their prognosis and in their outcome,” Forman says emphatically.

“The doctors at UCLA in the Division of Pediatric Neurology are probably the best pediatric neurologists specializing in epilepsy in the country. We feel passionate about the division and want to help them by raising money and awareness. They are the best doctors—brilliant, kind, compassionate. It's a very emotional cause,” she adds.

PEP's short term goals are to preserve the work of the clinic, including continuing to financially support the operating costs and fund the training of the next generation of pediatric neurologists to lead in clinical care and research. “There are currently more fellows training in pediatric epilepsy here than probably anywhere else. It's unfortunately the case that most community neurologists are not equipped to handle the challenge of a child with a seizure disorder and it's also an unfortunate fact that the longer it takes to address the issue the more at-risk the child will become,” says Forman, who says that PEP's long term goal is to fund enough fellows to keep up with the ever-growing demand of the division's services.

“It's a grassroots effort. Information about PEP is available at the clinic and in the new parent packets. When a parent needs to speak to another parent who's been through it, we are always available. We really support outreach, but we are finding that in the moment of crisis that isn't always what the parent wants. They want education and information. The best advice is don't give up—find the right doctor and trust your instincts. You have to have faith that you are going to get to the bottom of it and get some help,” Forman adds.

We at THE FAMILY GROOVE can all relate to the purpose, intention and drive behind PEP's mission. When it comes to the care of your child, you will stop at nothing to ensure the best. With just a little bit of awareness and support, we can help secure the continued success of this vital institution and, in turn, improve the lives of the children it cares for.

Get to know more about PEP's celebrity sponsor Greg Grunberg (pictured below at two PEP fundraisers) in this month's Get to Know column.
Click here to read all about his life and times —he's one groovy dad.

How can you help?
For more information or to make a donation, go to www.4pep.org or email info@4pep.org.

Pick up a copy of The Hollywood Cookbook: Cooking for Causes to check out a recipe from PEP's celebrity sponsor Greg Grunberg of NBC's hit series Heroes. Go to www.thehollywoodcookbook.com.

THE FAMILY GROOVE donates a percentage of each issue's revenue to its charity of the month.

 

CAUSE DE CELEB:  HOLLYWOOD SHINES FOR PEP AT THE CELEBRITY FINGERPAINTING AND GIBSON GUITAR CELEBRITY PAINTING FUNDRAISERS
Fred Burst displays his painting	Greg Grungerg interviews Kathy Griffin	Virginia Madsen paints for PEP
Eve lays it on good	Jennifer Garner and her rockin' guitar	Greg Grunberg and David Schwimmer represent