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Epilepsy Can't Stop Her Music The Dublin born musician and singer—winner of the All Ireland Harp Competition — has performed extensively in the U.S. with some of today’s finest Irish artists and her many appearances include Carnegie Hall, Jury’s Cabaret, NJPAC, and events honoring Irish Prime Ministers John Bruton and Bertie Ahern and Irish President Mary McAleese in New York, and Killiney Castle Cabaret in Dublin.
“I would never know when they were going to come,” she relates. “It really confined me because I was not allowed to drive.” Then, 13 years ago, she saw Orrin Devinsky, M.D., an internationally recognized neurologist, lecturer and author, on the television news program 20/20. Dr. Devinsky, who is Director of the Neurology and Neurosurgical Services at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, was talking about advances in epilepsy treatment and his encouraging words made Aideen wonder if he might offer her hope for a more normal life. Her appointment with Dr. Devinsky resulted in a prescription for two new medications that completely stopped her seizures. For the next 12 years, Ms. O’Donnell was able to concentrate on her flourishing career as a harpist and give birth to a daughter, Olivia, all without a single seizure. It was a time of great relief and happiness for Ms. O’Donnell and her entire family. A Troubling Return of Seizures “Psychologically it was very hard on me,” she says. “All of a sudden everything changed and I was kind of shocked by their return.” In October, Ms. O’Donnell came to Saint Barnabas Medical Center’s Video EEG Unit for a week-long assessment by neurologists from the Adult and Pediatric Comprehensive Epilepsy Centers, part of the Neurology and Neurosurgical Services. Saint Barnabas has New Jersey’s largest center for monitoring and diagnosing seizure disorders, and the 16-bed medical unit provides state-of-the-art technology. Sophisticated neuro-diagnostic techniques-- including EEG, ambulatory EEG, video-EEG monitoring, MRI and functional neuro-imaging, evoked potentials and Wada tests -- provided precise information about the origin and classification of her neurological disturbances. While being evaluated Ms. O’Donnell was allowed to bring her harp to her room on the unit at Saint Barnabas. She was very pleased, adding that playing the harp really helped her to pass the time. The soft, lilting harp notes also soothed the unit’s staff and patients alike. “It was so calming,” adds Linda Goldenberg, MSN, RN, Nurse Practitioner for the Unit. “The other patients just loved it. Aideen has even offered to come back and play for other patients.” Stopping the Seizures Again “She was admitted for a workup and we were able to capture a seizure and locate where it was coming from,” says Dr. Bojko. “We adjusted her medication and happily she has had no further events.” Dr. Bojko praises Aideen for her musical accomplishments and adds that historically many famous musicians and artists, including Ludwig van Beethoven, George Frederick Handel, Peter Tchaikovsky, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Vincent van Gogh, all had epilepsy. Aideen is equally pleased with the treatment she has received for her condition. “I love Dr. Bojko and Dr. Devinsky dearly and I cannot thank them enough for their positive attitude towards my career and my life in general,” she says. “They are both wonderful people.” Ms. O’Donnell plans to further epilepsy education with several workshops for patients that she will participate in through the Epilepsy Foundation. She hopes that others with epilepsy will be inspired to reach their full potential with the help of proper medical care. “My harp teacher always told me, ‘Don’t take it in,’ and I have tried to live my life in a positive way that reflects that motto,” she says. “Harp music has really been what has kept me going. It is important to use your other talents so you have something else to focus on.”
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Ms. O’Donnell’s ability to produce such stirring harp music is even more impressive considering her long battle with epilepsy. The accomplished harpist, who moved to the states from Ireland 20 years ago as a college student, has had the seizure-inducing condition since the age of three when she suffered a convulsion, probably the result of a high fever. After that, the petit mal seizures came at least once a week, causing great disruption to her life.
