More than most families, the Ondas know about the affects of infantile
spasms. Ty Onda, now 17, had his seizures stopped as an infant, although he
still suffers from the underlying cause of his disease, tuberous sclerosis. Ty, a competitive swimmer and good student, heads
to college next year in the hopes of studying biology.
His step-sister, Mami, was also diagnosed with infantile spasms, but suffered from refractory seizures which stunted her developmental progress. Mami's step father,
Rocky, said even though her cognitive development was impeded, she still
lives a "happy and good" life. Ty's infantile spasms were diagnosed
quickly, in part, because of their experience with the disorder with Mami.
"My life has been pretty normal. I make friends with kids all the time. They accept me for who I am. I do activities outside of school, like swimming and other sports. I just feel like a regular kid. Next year, in fact, I’m planning to attend college.” --Ty Onda
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