Addyson Benton, 3, and her family moved to Colorado for medical marijuana treatments. (Addyson's Warriors)
The Ohio family who moved more than 1,000 miles away to Colorado so their daughter who suffered up to 1,000 seizures a day could be treated with medical marijuana is celebrating the toddler’s latest milestones.
Addyson Benton, 3, was diagnosed with intractable myoclonic epilepsy before her first birthday. The family tried multiple medications without success before researching medical marijuana and deciding to try it for their daughter.
Addyson was prescribed an oil heavy in cannabidiol and low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), that is applied through a patch on her ankle twice a day.
“Two days after we moved here, we started a THCA treatment,” Heather Benton, Addyson’s mom, told ABC 7.
After a few weeks, Addyson went from having about 100 seizures a day to only 19, Heather said.
On Thursday, a photo on the family’s support page “Addyson’s Warriors” showed a calendar with the number of seizures per day written down. Each day in May has fewer than 17 seizures marked. The family has started a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of her treatment, as the medication is not covered by insurance.
“Her eye flutters are completely gone, and her jerks are limited to when she is trying to fall asleep,” Debbie Miller, Addyson’s grandmother, wrote on the page. “This brings everyone hope and it’s only the beginning of their journey.”
While the move has been stressful for the family, Heather said the benefits for Addyson are worth it.
“It’s been night and day,” she told WCPO. “I never in a million years would have every thought that six hours after putting this patch onto my daughter that she was walking with ease. It’s been amazing.”
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