By Deron Hamel

Epilepsy Halton Peel Hamilton communications manager Trevor Gordon was scanning online news stories in May when he came across a Global News article about a Mississauga family who was trying to find supports for the 5-year-old boy they had adopted who is living with epilepsy.

In May, Rosy Garcia and Andres Sosa adopted Jordan Sosa Garcia, who is from Colombia. Jordan’s mother, Rosy’s sister, was unable to care for the boy, so the couple brought him to Canada.

But caring for someone with epilepsy was a new experience for the couple and they didn’t know what supports were available to help.

When Gordon read the article, he contacted Angie Seth, the reporter who had covered the story, and offered the agency’s help.

“Right away when I read that article and saw that the family was in Mississauga, I thought, ‘I’m surprised that they don’t know about us (Epilepsy Halton Peel Hamilton) and vice versa,’” he says.

“I e-mailed the reporter and she was very quick to respond and was excited and I told her it would make a great third story for her, and it would, more importantly, help the family.”

Seth contacted the family and gave them the contact information for Epilepsy Halton Peel Hamilton. The family called the agency and Gordon put them in touch with Jasmine Morante, the Epilepsy Halton Peel Hamilton’s program manager.

An appointment was set up for the family to come in. Morante explained all the services the agency offers. She also gave them information on the Sunny Days Camp, a camping experience provided to children living with epilepsy and their siblings between the ages of five and 12, which Jordan attended with his brother.

Morante has also been providing education and advice to the family to help them learn about epilepsy.

“Jasmine was really good at explaining epilepsy 101 to the family and keeping them calm and positive,” Gordon says. “She is providing a great support system to the family.”

For his part, Gordon says he is happy to have been able to use the media and social media to create such a positive result.

“There is so much negativity in social media and the media in general, and I like the fact we used social media for something positive and it worked,” he says. “If people can learn from the techniques that we’ve used, hopefully that could spawn more ways of helping people.”

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