After over two years of continuous seizures, multiple brain surgeries, and numerous hospital visits, a nine-year-old from Lockwood is hoping that surgery on Thursday will have put his frequent seizures to rest.
Candon Westervelt underwent an 8 to 10 hour brain surgery Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. The procedure is a hemispherectomy, where the right side of Candon’s brain will be removed. It’s the only known treatment to end a rare neurological disease which struck Candon two and a half years ago, and is most common in children ages 2 to 10.
There has been an outpouring of support from the community, particularly in Tioga County, as Candon is a student at Waverly, and his mother Colby is a physical education teacher at Candor High School. In the past few months, t-shirts have been sold to be worn throughout the day of Candon’s surgery, with the phrase “Left Strong”, the side of Candon’s brain which he will be left with, along with Thursday’s date.
While he may lose fine motor skills on his right side, it is expected that with therapy, Candon can make a full recovery and live a successful, seizure-free life.
