DREW HEMLOCK

Drew is a twenty-four year old young man with Glut1 DS. Drew was not diagnosed until he was sixteen years old. For sixteen years he had seizures which no amount of medication could control. His brain was seizing and starving and was not provided energy it needed to grow and develop. His parents did not know what caused their son's problems and symptoms, and there was little they could do to help him. They were resigned that this was just going to be his life.

Then, by fiat, Drew got a diagnosis. One of Drew’s doctors was at a seminar where Glut1 DS was discussed. That doctor immediately thought of Drew. He was then tested and diagnosed with Glut1 DS. Drew was put on a special diet using some of the principles of the ketogenic diet. For Drew, his brain could not get back all that it had lost for so many years. But, he did make improvements. He is not seizure free but has them much less frequently. And, his stamina has so improved that he ran the 800 meter race in the Special Olympics. He has taken up golf and his father reports that from the forward tees he averages 54 for 9 holes.

In an effort to better understand the improvements that Drew made after diagnosis, his parents, were asked what was he like before, what was his life like, how many seizures did he have per day? One would have expected to hear about the trials and tribulations they suffered for sixteen years. Instead, they said "it is difficult to remember, it has been such a wonderful life since."

September 2009 Update: Drew continues to thoroughly enjoy running his races. In June 2009, he won the silver medal in the 800 meter race. Go Drew!