New Hope for Patients with Rare Epilepsy

Like Bunyan and John Henry, he loves tall tales, says his mother, Susie Luebke. It makes sense, given the 8-year-old’s life. The stories are full of characters tackling enormous obstacles.

Tello, who is from Ann Arbor, began having seizures when he was 5 months old, including some so severe he had to be intubated in the ICU. At age 3, he was diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome, rare, genetic epilepsy. In addition to seizures, it can cause cognitive and developmental delays and carries a high risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, or SUDEP.