When Cole Wilson was a toddler, life changed in an instant. A nighttime tumble from his crib turned into something far more frightening the next morning, when he had his first seizure over breakfast. For his mom, Sabrina, the fear was instant.
Living in Berea, Kentucky, at the time, Sabrina took Cole to the nearest children’s hospital.
“We spent several days in another hospital hoping for answers,” she said. “The next several weeks were filled with new medication, additional seizures and additional hospital visits, but no real understanding of how to help him.”
Like many parents navigating a new diagnosis, Sabrina trusted her instincts. Something wasn’t right, and she wanted a team who would listen, guide, and partner with her family. Seeking that second opinion led them to Norton Children’s.
It’s a relationship that has now shaped Cole’s life for more than a decade.
A clear path forward
At Norton Children’s, Cole underwent thorough diagnostic testing, including an overnight electroencephalogram (EEG), and received the information — and the medication adjustment — he needed.
“At Norton Children’s, every worry I had was listened to. Every ‘what if’ was heard,” Sabrina said. “There isn’t always a perfect answer with epilepsy, but there are ways to manage and stabilize. Norton Children’s brought my baby to a different, but stable normal.”
Today, Cole receives ongoing epilepsy care through Norton Children’s Neuroscience Institute, seeing pediatric neurologist Arpita Lakhotia, M.D., both at Norton Children’s Outpatient Center – Frankfort and in Louisville when he needs more advanced testing or annual EEGs.
For Sabrina, that access has been essential for a family living now living in Lexington.
“The staff and physicians are the best of the best at what they do,” she said. “And they do it all with an indescribable love.”
A teen with a favorite doctor
Cole, now 13, describes his experience with Norton Children’s in his own unmistakable way, with humor, honesty and appreciation.
“As a patient here at Norton Children’s, I can confidently say that the staff holds an unbridled desire and passion to help others,” he said.
He jokes that unlike many teens, he doesn’t dread his doctor appointments.
“When my mom says we have a checkup, I don’t feel the urge to disappear. I get to visit my doctor – Dr. Lakhotia. She is my absolute favorite of any doctor I’ve seen.”
Dr. Lakhotia talks with Cole, not just about symptoms or side effects of epilepsy, but about life. She includes him in decisions, asks for his opinions and has built a relationship that makes him feel safe, heard and understood.
They also talk about what they’d do if they won the lottery.
Access close to home. Expertise worth the drive.
For the family, choosing to travel for specialized care in Louisville has always been an easy decision because of the trust they’ve built and the outcomes they’ve seen.
But having the Norton Children’s Neuroscience Institute location in the outpatient center in Frankfort has made their routine epilepsy care simpler, more convenient and less stressful. Cole gets consistent neurology follow-ups close to home, all backed by nationally ranked pediatric neuroscience expertise just down the road in Louisville whenever he needs it.
A future with even more possibilities
Sabrina also noted Norton Children’s plans to build a second hospital and pediatric campus in Jeffersontown, Kentucky.
“For parents, it’s going to be an incredible sigh of relief knowing their kids are in the very best hands,” she said. “Norton Children’s provides answers, peace and hope in moments where it feels like there might not be any.”
For Cole, the environment itself tells the story best.
“Norton Children’s is built off the staff’s connections to their patients,” he said. “I can look at any of them and smile, even if I don’t personally know them.”