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Stephanie Harding holds her 4-year-old son, Dakota Spicer, who recently had a device implanted in his chest to help reduce his epileptic seizures.
After struggling with crippling seizures most of his short life so far, one Las Cruces child has undergone an innovative, less aggressive procedure to help give the boy his life back.

Since he was 9.5 months old, Dakota Spicer, now 4, has had debilitating seizures due to Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy that begins in infancy. According to the Dravet Syndrome Foundation, children with the syndrome do not outgrow the condition, which affects every aspect of their daily life.

The bright-eyed, smiley young boy - affectionately called "The Spicy One" by his mother Stephanie Harding - is also autistic and is in preschool at Valley View Elementary School.

After what Harding called a "seizure storm" in September, where Dakota had to be rushed to the hospital once a week with a severe seizure, Harding said she went searching for ways to stop the seizures, which included grand mal (which affect the entire brain), frustrating daydream seizures and even seizures while Dakota was sleeping.

The preschooler, who loves music, his pet cat Kokomo, pet dog Anita, service dog Romeo, the colors yellow and orange, learning new things and being outdoors couldn't even go to the park or participate in activities his peers did on a regular basis.

"I just wanted to give my son back his childhood and actually let him have (one)," Harding said.

After working with doctors, she elected to have a Vegus Nerve Stimulator - similar to a pacemaker - installed in the boy's chest.

A Las Cruces doctor, Terry McMillian, performed the surgery and, Harding said, is the only one in the area who does that type of procedure on young children.

"They don't usually do these procedures on kids his age. The neurologist said he was game for it if I was game for it," Harding said.

On Oct. 9, Dakota received the battery-powered VNS implant, which is a small device that goes under the skin near the collarbone, according to A wire, or lead, under the skin connects the device to the vagus nerve in Dakota's neck. The doctor programmed the device to send out weak electrical signals that travel along the nerve to the brain to help prevent the electrical bursts in the brain that cause seizures.

Dakota's VNS was turned on Oct. 28 and his seizures stopped and, while the surgery was done in Las Cruces, Harding said the family treks to El Paso weekly to have the stimulator adjusted.

"We are on a good road I think. It is a very easy procedure," Harding said.

Harding was given a handheld magnet that can be used to turn the device on in the event of a seizure, or can turn the device off if it causes unpleasant side affects, according to WebMd.

"My son doesn't respond to seizure medication, so that's why we came to the option to start the next journey to help him," Harding said.

Dakota will still continue to take medication for his seizures, but not as many doses as were required prior to the implementation of the VNS.

There are slight side affects with the new device, Harding said. Dakota will have scars for a while - on his neck and by his armpit - until they grow with his skin, becoming more camouflaged. Harding said his voice also takes on a robotic tone from time to time, but quickly goes back to normal.

The surgery takes only about two hours and Harding said battery in the VNS is good for 10 years, when surgery may be required again to put in new batteries.

"This implant is a permanent thing. This decision means it's your best friend for the rest of your life. You have to consider the pros and cons first. I did with my son," she said. "You have to know your treatment choices and know what you're going in for. Be thorough and have a voice in the treatment."

Harding said the device can be seen sometimes under Dakota's skin, but makes no noises and can't be felt through the skin as it sends its electrical signals.

"More crucial than the side effects was knowing this isn't a cure for epilepsy. Most people won't have seizures altogether, some 30 to 50 percent fewer seizures. It can take as long as two years before they notice a significant reduction," Harding said.

Dakota underwent one of the most expensive surgeries, costing a total of $42,000, which was paid for by Harding's insurance.

"I was really nervous how he was going to handle this and he's handled it really good. I was surprised and tickled," Harding said. "We take what we got. We believe the Lord is allowing this to work and take it day by day and hope it continues."

Matlin Smith may be reached at 575-541-5468.