LPHS03E05: Mike Knox is Fighting for 3 Million Americans with Epilepsy

What would you do if doctors told you your 7-year-old would “never progress past second grade” and belong in a group home?

Mike Knox thought his world was ending when his 2-year-old daughter Vivian had her first seizure and flatlined at the hospital. What followed were years of failed medications, schools that refused to help, bullying from classmates making fake seizure videos, and doctors who said she’d never progress beyond second grade. But Mike refused to accept that future for his daughter. After five grueling years and a leap of faith with a vagus nerve stimulator—a device the size of a silver dollar—everything changed.

Today, Vivian is 18, seizure-free for eight years, and preparing for college with dreams of film set design. But Mike’s fight isn’t over. He’s working to change state laws because epilepsy affects 3 million Americans yet has virtually no legal protections. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or advocate, this episode will open your eyes to a community that desperately needs support.

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