A growing number of local families are heading to Colorado to get a unique medical marijuana treatment for their children who suffer from epilepsy.
Ryan Reed and his wife Kathy felt like they were nearly out of options for their 2-and-half-year-old son Otis who has a catastrophic form of epilepsy. The Baldwin City, Kan., couple takes turns staying up with their son who has more than 100 seizures per day.
"We've tried everything and there was never any sort of reduction in seizures," Kathy said.
Several of the medications caused him to have high blood pressure and more severe seizures.
"I'm scared of more seizures. I'm scared of not doing anything and having seizures just completely take over," Ryan said.
Doctors finally suggested a risky surgery to remove more than half of Otis brain. Doctors told the Reed family there was only a 50 percent chance of success. The Reeds felt they needed to try one more option before they said yes to the surgery.
The options are lets take out half of his brain which might help or might not or lets try one more treatment. Lets try medical marijuana," Ryan said.
Within the last year, Ryan and Kathy looked into Charlottes Web, a special strain of marijuana that is used to treat children with epilepsy. It is given to patients in the form of oil and studies have shown the cannabinoid or CBD levels can have a calming effect on the brain.
They put Otiss name on a waiting list at the Realm of Caring Foundation in Colorado. Ryan and Kathy sold their house and moved in with Ryans parents for additional support. Ryan quit his job as a teacher to stay home and take care of Otis while Kathy works and provides medical insurance for the family.
In May, Ryan will move to Colorado and join more than 100 marijuana refugees, families who have moved to Colorado for medical marijuana.
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Family relocates for medical marijuana treatment