Kevin Andrew Mateczun had his first seizure at age ten. He struggled for several years with epilepsy, enduring failed medications, countless seizures and two brain surgeries. Although it appeared that Kevin’s seizures were controlled after his second surgical procedure, Kevin passed away in August of 2001, in a drowning accident, when he was not quite 17.
After Kevin’s passing, his grieving mother found purpose in her sorrow while working with stained glass. Trish created 20 glass pyramids, a collection called Kevin’s Pyramids, and donated them to the Epilepsy Foundation. Her goal was to provide her artwork for fundraising purposes that would eventually help alleviate the suffering resulting from epilepsy.
Money raised through the pyramids, and Kevin’s story, would support the development of new therapies and strategies that improve the quality of life for people living with seizures. The Epilepsy Foundation resolved to fulfill the goal of the pyramid collection by funding exceptional young investigators, dubbed Kevin’s Fellows.
