Nicholas J. Parrish

Age: 14
Grade: 8
Market: Glen Elven, Illinois

These days, Nick Parrish doesn’t remember having seizures. He just wants to be one of the kids like everyone else.

Nick is a hardworking and determined young man who has worked harder than his fellow students to keep up. He had his first seizure when he was 3½ years old. During the next few months he suffered hundreds of seizures causing him to fall further behind his peers in formative and cognitive development. Luckily for Nick, his family assisted in deciphering the complicated, difficult, social services system to get him the assistance he required.

Today, Nick is seizure free, but he copes daily with the traumatic effects the seizures caused. Nick’s processing speed requires additional effort and time, which is difficult for most of his peers and some adults to understand.

“I’m just like everyone else,” says Nick. “I’m a social kid who likes to have fun and make new friends. I don’t judge people by their looks, I like to get to know people for who they really are.”