He was three years old when his first seizure occurred. The seizures were nocturnal and no one outside the family knew. But then one day, Louis Stanislaw had a seizure at school, and so began his public life of living with epilepsy鈥攁nd some might say his life of living on the edge.
An independent film producer, Stanislaw will present his film “Living on the Edge” at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 9 am in the Harborview Medical Center Research & Training Building, 300 Ninth Avenue. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion of individuals living with epilepsy and UW Medicine professionals who treat seizure disorders.
鈥淎fter that seizure at school, I felt closed out of society,鈥� recalled Stanislaw. 鈥淭hen one day my sister heard the chair for Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE) talking on television about epilepsy research and I knew that there were people out there trying to help.鈥�
In “Living on the Edge,” the filmmaker takes us through the challenge of life with epilepsy. Although it affects three million Americans directly, and millions more through family members, friends, co-workers and caregivers, epilepsy is widely and grossly misunderstood. Through the stories of the director and epilepsy patients and their families this documentary looks unflinchingly at the alienation, depression, and loneliness that epilepsy can bring.
Life with epilepsy can be unpredictable. Medicines that control seizures can have major side effects; seizures can be frightening and dangerous and can have devastating consequences. Deeply personal and honest, On The Edge examines this complex disorder and dispels the myths that surround it, to seek a path to understanding, effective treatment, and a cure.
鈥淟iving on the Edge鈥� has been publicly screened at the Cleveland Clinic and at the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of Art Institute of Chicago. For more information on the Nov. 9 event, go to the UW Medicine
To learn about the film, visit