Bracken's Emma Conley opens up about epilepsy

[Randy Parker]

BROOKSVILLE | To the casual observer and to her opponents, she is merely another standout high school athlete, starring on the basketball court and the softball diamond.

 

Emma Conley, a senior at Bracken County High School, has a 60-mile per hour fastball among her array of deliveries from the pitching circle for the Lady Bears and she's the basketball team's starting point guard.

 

She's also been keeping a secret for more than two years that was known only by her parents, coaches and a handful of classmates.

 

In June 2011, Conley was diagnosed with epilepsy.

 

 

Bracken's Conley opens up about epilepsy

[Randy Parker]

^ This is an article written by Chuck Hamilton of The Ledger Independent in Maysville, concerning Bracken County's Emma Conley. I'm already a proud uncle of Emma & her younger sister Allie, who also plays on the softball team, but how Emma has matured in handling this situation makes me even more proud.

[TAC]

Great story! She is a real trooper!

[hoops5]

^ This is an article written by Chuck Hamilton of The Ledger Independent in Maysville, concerning Bracken County's Emma Conley. I'm already a proud uncle of Emma & her younger sister Allie, who also plays on the softball team, but how Emma has matured in handling this situation makes me even more proud.

:thumb: She sounds like a remarkable young lady to be able to manage this condition and still be a successful athlete and student. Sounds like she would be a great role model to other kids as well.

[passtheball]

:thumb: It's great to see this kind of story in the paper versus the other negative articles written in the sports section.

[Porky]

What a remarkable young lady. Good luck to Emma during her senior year and beyond.

[ColonelMike]

Kudos to this young lady for her courage in standing up to a condition that scares so many people. She may never know how many people this article positively influenced. My hat's off to her!! It would have done more justice to this young lady, however, if the paper would have done its homework. How many times does this article use the word "disease?" Epilepsy is not a disease. You cannot "catch" it. It is not "contagious". It's a medical condition that tends to be either congenital or caused by a trauma.

[hoops5]

It's a medical condition that tends to be either congenital or caused by a trauma.

:thumb:

[hoops5]

Best of luck to Emma Conley. Hope she has a great year!

[zklemme]

Kudos to this young lady for her courage in standing up to a condition that scares so many people. She may never know how many people this article positively influenced. My hat's off to her!! It would have done more justice to this young lady, however, if the paper would have done its homework. How many times does this article use the word "disease?" Epilepsy is not a disease. You cannot "catch" it. It is not "contagious". It's a medical condition that tends to be either congenital or caused by a trauma.

 

Merriam-Webster's online definition of the word "disease":

 

an impairment of the normal state of the living animal or plant body or one of its parts that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions, is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, and is a response to environmental factors (as malnutrition, industrial hazards, or climate), to specific infective agents (as worms, bacteria, or viruses), to inherent defects of the organism (as genetic anomalies), or to combinations of these factors

 

Says nothing about a condition having to be contagious to be a disease.

[All State Baseball]

Great story RP. Good luck to Ms. Conley and the Lady Bears this basketball season and softball season. :thumb:

[hoops5]

From that article, it said that Emma has been seizure free for a year. That is a big milestone.

Hat's off to Cincy Children's Hospital seizure clinic. They have great people monitoring the seizure medications and treatment so that kids like Emma Conley can keep doing her thing!

[Clyde]

This story jumps out at me. I was around Emma last spring at a softball tourney. The youngster was as friendly and happy-go-lucky as one can be. It really jumped out at me. I assume that's the way she's always been. You then read about her insecurity with this particular issue and her mom said she had other issues with her peers. It's one more example of how you just never know what kids are hiding or what's bothering them.

 

I applaud her for stepping up and saying "this is me."