Twelve-year-old Hannah Poshek of Glenwood is feeling a bit like a celebrity after being chosen to be featured in her very own comic book called "Medikidz Explain Playing Sports with Epilepsy."
The comic book will focus on a character modeled after Hannah who finds out she has epilepsy and almost gives up on her dream of playing hockey.
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This story is a true one for Hannah, as she was diagnosed with epilepsy in May 2005. Epilepsy is a disorder that causes abnormal brain cell activity resulting in seizures. At the time of her diagnosis, Hannah was having 50 to 100 seizures per day.
Eleven years later, Sheila Poshek, Hannah's mother, says her epilepsy is well under control and she has not had any major issues in a year and a half. Since her condition is under control, Hannah is able to enjoy playing hockey for the Minnesota Special Hockey league in Alexandria.
"She's been doing really well and has her seizures currently managed by her medications," Sheila said. "One of the tough things with kids and epilepsy is that they can outgrow it or it can just change over time and you can experience really good stretches of time and then one day it can all change. We just enjoy the good days and stretches of good days when we can."
The Posheks have been involved with the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota since Hannah's diagnosis, and they were contacted immediately when the director caught wind of the comic book.
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In the comic book, Hannah and a group called the Medikidz travel back in time to meet Chanda Gunn, a U.S. hockey Olympic gold medalist who was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 9.
However, Hannah's encounter with Gunn wasn't just fictional. She was able to meet her in real life as part of the comic book process.
"We met Chanda for lunch shortly after Hannah was selected," Sheila said. "She was in the Twin Cities the same weekend we were down there. Then she and the video crew came to our house to shoot a video. Hannah really looks up to her and thinks she is pretty awesome."
Hannah was also able to be very involved in the design of her character.
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"We had to send in a bunch of pictures and they modeled it after her," Sheila said. "Then Hannah had pretty much free range to look through the drawings and say, 'Nope, I don't like this.' For an example, on her bed in the comic book they originally had a bear and she was like, 'Nope, I have a dolphin so it has to be a dolphin.' They had her read through all of the words and make sure it sounded like something she would say."
The comic book will be officially launched on Saturday, April 16 at the National Walk for Epilepsy in Washington, D.C., where the Posheks will travel to represent Minnesota.
For anyone who would like to follow her journey, Hannah will be managing a blog at https://hannahthecurious.wordpress.com .
For more information, visit www.jumohealth.com/products#comic-section.