Remembering Kayla

Our story is one of sorrow and hope. Our daughter, Kayla Bonar, was diagnosed with epilepsy at 8 years old. She passed away at the age of 23. She had a form of seizures that were never fully controlled. She could go months on medication, and then start having breakthrough seizures. She was a determined girl who never let her sickness deter her from her love of God and her goals of graduating with a degree in journalism and becoming a writer. Her blog is still up and is called "Coffee Shop Talk" with Kayla Bonar. She used this platform to encourage others in their challenges in life. Her last days were spent reporting on small-town news in Ellensburg, Washington, while living with her beloved service dog, Charley.

As a parent, it would have been easy to shelter Kayla and not let her live out her dreams. To overcome this, I spent a lot of time praying and asking for God's protection over her as she went on mission trips to places like Haiti and Mexico. We always made sure someone on these trips knew how to handle a seizure and how to manage her medicines, sleep, etc. I would encourage other parents to let their child live out their dreams in the safest way possible. I am so glad that Kayla got to reach her dreams of serving through missions, graduating college, and exploring a career in journalism.

I promised God that I would use our story to encourage others and to provide hope in living with epilepsy. During the initial grieving period, I began to journal. This led to writing a book, which includes her writings and my grief story. It's called "Rescuing Hope." If you or someone you love has been impacted by seizures and epilepsy, I would also encourage you to journal and share your story with others.