When Isaac Klapper was 10 years old, he started having regular, daily episodes that caused his head to twitch and his eyes to turn to the side.
His pediatrician recommended a neurologist, who diagnosed Klapper with a movement disorder and prescribed medication. For five years, that kept the episodes at bay — but when he was a sophomore in high school, they returned, interrupting daily life and throwing his prior diagnosis into question.
Klapper spent the rest of his high school career missing out on milestones. He couldn’t drive, because of the chance he’d have an episode behind the wheel. It affected his social life and his ability to focus in class, because he always wondered when the next one might strike.
“It was pretty devastating,” said Klapper. “It was hard to handle. I just didn’t want to go anywhere because I was afraid of one happening.”
Meanwhile, his parents, Karen and Mark Klapper, watched him struggle and searched for answers. A neurologist in their home city of Toledo, Ohio was trying “medication after medication,” Mark Klapper said. After two years, there was no change, so the Klappers decided to look elsewhere for answers. A movement specialist said Klapper didn’t have a movement disorder: Instead, he was having frequent seizures. The family went to the Cleveland Clinic, where he was diagnosed with epilepsy.