Mallory's comprehensive epilepsy care with Manning Family Children's Neurology

At 18 years old, Mallory Murphy is known for her infectious smile, competitive spirit, and role as an assistant coach for her high school basketball team. But behind her confidence is a long medical journey that began in infancy and intensified at age 10, when she experienced her first seizure. 

Today, her seizures are controlled under the care of child neurologist Daniella Miller, MD at Manning Family Children’s. Reaching this point took years of persistence, specialized testing, and carefully adjusted medications. 

A fragile start for Mallory 

Mallory’s medical journey began shortly after birth. Though only slightly premature, she struggled to breathe during a feeding at just one week old. She was diagnosed with RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), a common but potentially serious virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages. In infants, RSV can cause severe inflammation, making it difficult to breathe. 

Mallory’s lungs became so compromised that she was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at a hospital near her home in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. “She required resuscitation three times,” said her mother, Janna. “She was hospitalized for six weeks. I remember all the breathing machines and how often staff had to come in to suction and clear her airway.”   

Luckily, when she was healthy enough to breathe on her own, she was discharged.  

Early delays and early intervention 

After the first couple of months marked by healthcare emergencies, life calmed down briefly for the Bauman family—but not for long. By 10 months old, Mallory was already showing signs of developmental delay. “She wasn’t crawling or talking at all,” Janna said. “I just felt something was off.” 

Mallory was enrolled in Louisiana’s EarlySteps program, where she received physical therapy to improve movement and strength, occupational therapy to build everyday life skills, and speech therapy to support her communication. By preschool, she was walking and talking, but continued to need classroom modifications to accommodate her developmental delays. She was provided with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a customized learning plan designed to support students with disabilities. 

From day one, however, Mallory thrived socially. Although she processes information more slowly than others, she makes up for it with her enthusiasm for learning and her ability to make friends. 

From one seizure to 15 a day 

Everything was going well—until it wasn’t. When Mallory turned 10, she experienced a seizure while riding in the car with her mother. She was transported to the emergency department, but after the episode resolved and she was alert, the family was sent home with instructions to follow up with a child neurologist. 

Janna acted quickly. What began as a single seizure rapidly escalated to as many as 15 seizures per day—every day. Determined to find answers, she worked to secure a neurology appointment and ultimately connected with Dr. Miller at Manning Family Children’s. Dr. Miller specializes in treating children with epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. 

“Mallory was experiencing all three types of seizures throughout the day, especially before bedtime,” Janna said. Convulsive seizures involve a loss of consciousness and full-body shaking. Absence seizures are brief staring spells that can appear like daydreaming. Drop seizures involve a sudden loss of muscle tone, causing the person to collapse to the ground. 

Janna had to quit her job to be there day and night for Mallory. “The episodes were unpredictable. She fell frequently, and at times, required a wheelchair for safety. Eventually, her seizures became so dangerous that she left traditional school and transitioned to homeschooling,” Janna said.  

Along with her husband, Mallory’s dad, Tim Murphy, taking care of Mallory was a full time job. 

Specialized testing brings answers at Manning Family Children’s 

Over the course of approximately 10 months, under Dr. Miller’s care at the Epilepsy Center at Manning Family Children’s, Mallory tried several different medications to control her seizures. She also underwent an extensive evaluation, including an overnight electroencephalogram (EEG) to monitor her brain activity. 

This test measures electrical signals in the brain through sensors placed on the scalp. The study revealed that Mallory was experiencing seizures throughout the night while she slept. 

“Learning that the seizures were happening when she was sleeping was so scary for us,” Janna said. “We moved her bed into our room so we could monitor her better.” 

Dr. Miller continued to titrate Mallory’s medications by adjusting doses and combinations to find what Janna described as a “cocktail” that might control the epilepsy. Over time, she identified three medications that reduced Mallory’s seizures to about two per day, typically occurring at bedtime. 

Still, neither Tim and Janna nor Dr. Miller were satisfied with reducing Mallory’s seizures from 15 per day to just two. Their shared goal was complete seizure control so Mallory could return to school and spend time with her friends. 

On July 29, 2019, Dr. Miller introduced a new option that ultimately made the difference. Epidiolex is an FDA approved cannabidiol-based prescription therapy approved for certain seizure disorders. 

Mallory has not had a seizure since. 

A partnership in care: Thriving beyond diagnosis 

Mallory’s family lives about an hour from Manning Family Children’s, but they continue to see Dr. Miller for regular follow-up visits every six months. Epilepsy care requires ongoing monitoring, as brain chemistry, growth, and hormonal changes can all affect seizure control. 

“The care offered to families at Manning Family Children’s is phenomenal,” Janna said. “I would encourage anyone to seek care there. Our experience has been exceptional.” 

“I love Dr. Miller. She answers our questions and is so nice,” Mallory said. “I feel like she really takes good care of me.” 

Janna couldn’t agree more. “Dr. Miller is amazing. She has been a true blessing in our lives and is one of my favorite people in the world. As a mother going through what we experienced, I would call her office every day, and she always made sure to call me back. She was incredibly thorough with her testing, and I couldn’t have asked for better communication.” 

For Janna and Tim, seizure control brought relief, though the years of unpredictability had been emotionally taxing. “We felt afraid all the time before the seizures stopped. We were always worried about her falling. I know this is a common fear for parents of children with epilepsy,” Janna said. “And even though it’s been so long since her last seizure, I still sometimes wonder, ‘what if?’” 

Mallory is living her life and rarely thinks about her epilepsy. She doesn’t dwell on what she can’t do, like driving, but instead focuses on what she excels at. Right now, basketball is her first love. A junior, she serves as the assistant coach of her high school basketball team, where she is known for her three-point shooting skills and competitive spirit. 

One of her most exciting honors was being chosen as Mardi Gras Queen in the Walmart Slidell Mardi Gras parade, a celebration recognizing students in special education programs. “I felt so special being chosen as the Mardi Gras Queen,” Mallory said. 

Mallory’s story is not just about seizure control. It is about early intervention, specialized neurological care, and a coordinated medical team that supports both patient and family. With her seizures controlled, Mallory is focused not on her diagnosis — but on her next three-pointer. 

For more information about the Epilepsy Center at Manning Family Children’s, visit: https://www.manningchildrens.org/services/neurosciences/neurology/programs-specialty-clinics/epilepsy-center/