Ellie Colon began having different types of seizures just before her fourth birthday. While her epilepsy diagnosis came quickly, resolving her seizures has been a multi-year journey. Since 2014, Ellie’s parents, Irina & Tony, have been relentless in their pursuit of relief, management, and ultimately a cure. Ellie’s treatment has been a delicate balance of closely monitored diet, medications, and surveillance. And while all of these approaches provide some degree of support, a cure for Ellie’s epilepsy has remained out of reach, so far.
Desperate for a community, answers and a path to enduring health, Irina & Tony got involved with CURE Epilepsy. Since 2019, they have been passionate champions of CURE Epilepsy’s mission. With her community, Irina has been an active fundraiser- aspiring to accelerate progress in research, while also providing event planning support, sponsorship, and awareness. With Tony, Irina is deeply committed to finding a cure for Ellie, and all others affected by this cruel condition.
Irina received her BA in Marketing and Management from the University of Illinois and her MBA in Finance from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. Her professional experience spanned financial services and business development in the Corporate Trust Space. She lives in the north suburbs of Chicago with her husband Tony, and their two children Ellie & Ethan.