Sasha Pina

In September of 2010, Sasha spent several days in the PICU at a local children’s hospital due to a head injury received during a soccer game. While in the hospital, she was diagnosed with a lateral skull fracture, traumatic brain injury, brain swelling, and amnesia. Ten months later, she had her first seizure. Sasha was seventeen years old when she had her first seizure. After multiple tests and EEG’s, she was diagnosed with Complex Partial and Nocturnal seizures. After a trial of seven different anti-seizure medications and a rescue medications, she was told she had drug resistant epilepsy.

After completing research, Sasha and her family decide VNS surgery was the best option for her.

She recently completed a Nursing Assistant program. Her passion is children and teens with epilepsy. Being diagnosed with epilepsy changed how she sees the world and sees how people with different challenges get treated by those who do not understand. It is now her mission to educate others about epilepsy awareness, seizure first aid, and SUDEP. Sasha is now an advocate for VNS therapy for epilepsy and treatment options for those with refractory epilepsy. She is also an ambassador for the Danny Did Foundation and a project coordinator at the Epilepsy Foundation.

This scholarship will continue to help her mission to educate those not only on epilepsy, but on seizures related to brain injuries while becoming an EEG Technician.