nba star tristan thompson takes on epilepsy

brampton, ont.-born thompson has joined forces with advocacy groups to block the obstacles facing those living with epilepsy.

by chris arnold

published nov 30, 2022

3 minute read

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3 minute read

join the conversation

“my younger brother fights each and every day,” tristan thompson told nbc before his game against cleveland where he donated his game-worn jersey and shoes to raise money for the u.s.-based epilepsy foundation. supplied

nba star and toronto native tristan thompson is taking on a new opponent off the court — epilepsy. epilepsy, the fourth most common neurological disorder in the world, causes regular, unprovoked seizures caused by sudden electrical disturbances in the brain. seizures are often thought of as uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs, but they can also cause a staring spell, loss of consciousness, temporary confusion, as well as changes to mood. most seizures last between 30 seconds and two minutes, but more severe seizures last as long as five minutes.

in canada, approximately 260,000 people have epilepsy, according to the canadian epilepsy alliance — that’s about 7.5 out of every 1,000 people. there are more than 50 million people diagnosed with epilepsy worldwide.

“my younger brother fights each and every day”

after thompson’s younger brother amari was diagnosed with epilepsy after he was born, the brampton, ont.-born nba champion founded the amari thompson fund, along with epilepsy toronto, to raise awareness and support for people living with epilepsy and their families.

“my younger brother fights each and every day,” thompson told nbc before his game against cleveland where he donated his game-worn jersey and shoes to raise money for the u.s.-based epilepsy foundation. “most 16-year-olds can enjoy life and have the freedom and be able to experience things with their peers. it’s harder for him. he motivates me. why not keep working each day? there’s no reason for me not to get up and push to be not only a better basketball player but a better human being.”

thompson, who is now a free agent, has also pledged his support for the securing futures life skills program, a new venture from epilepsy toronto focused on providing vulnerable adults who have epilepsy with the skills they need to live independently. the initiative, which aims to address the fact that living alone with epilepsy poses certain challenges and risks — including having a seizure while no one is around to help — uses mentors with epilepsy, called content specialists, to teach skills like cleaning, cooking and how to safely live independently.

mentors include experts in every field from health care to financial advising, a strategic decision that is a key differentiator of the program, says geoff bobb, epilepsy toronto’s executive director.

“there are tons of people who live successful lives with epilepsy, and who have managed to make their own accommodations,” bobb says.

and while the health risks of living with epilepsy are not insignificant — a 2020 study found that the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (sudie) increased five-fold when an epileptic person lives on their own, a reality for

one out of every 1,000 people with epilepsy — getting a job can also be a challenge. approximately half of all people with epilepsy struggle to find employment — a gap that the securing futures program hopes to fill.

“we’ve spent about a year developing a series of modules that range from money management and household tasks, to understanding their own seizure disorders,” says bobb.

contributing to the barriers to employment are the medications used to treat seizures including carbamazepine, phenytoin, or valproic, that can cause fatigue, dizziness, and weight gain, or more severe side effects like rashes, mood changes, and speech issues.

using celebrity status for good

since joining epilepsy toronto, thompson has also been instrumental in making connections with others in the basketball community, such as lebron james.

🙏🏾👑 https://t.co/xux1teqaym
— lebron james (@kingjames) september 13, 2019

“every athlete has something, or someone, that pushes them to go above their limits,” thompson told epilepsy toronto. “for me, it’s my little brother amari.”

chris arnold is a toronto-based writer.

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