- My next guests have deep roots in the world of football.
Dad is a division one college coach.
Mom grew up with her father playing in the NFL.
So football is in the family.
And now the kids are capitalizing
on their football heritage to help children with epilepsy
get the helmets that they need.
From Helmets4Helmets.
Let's welcome, Sarah.
10 year old Bryson who copes with epilepsy every day.
12 year Brock, who is so tall y'all,(Sarah laughing)
and Aristotle, give it up for them.
(audience applauding)
You're a tall boy, I'm just saying.
I was like, woo. Looks like my nephew.
So can y'all first tell us how this all came about
and like football's in your family, right?
- Yes. My dad was drafted into the NFL
when I was six months old and played 16 years,
mostly with the Saints and a little bit against Troy Aikman.
They're on the opposite same side of the ball
so never head to head but yes. - Oh, wow.
- And so he played until I was 16
and it's been obviously my whole life.
- Oh my gosh. And you coach?
- Yes.
I'm a running backs coach at the university of California.
So going into my third season there.
Been coaching for over 20 years.
So it's in our blood and we've been...
(audience applauding)
- Wow. - Go bears.
- Yeah.
- We've been fortunate enough to have the young people
that we are involved with,
the players have them in our homes.
- It's like an extended family.
- Yes. - Huge extended family.
These guys have a bunch of big brothers, uncles if you will.
They're taking care of 'em, always looking out for them.
- I love that.
So when was Bryson diagnosed with Epilepsy?
- Bryson was diagnosed when he was almost four years old,
and completely out of the blue.
We noticed that he was running and he would fall over.
And we just thought that his feet were growing too fast.
And he was tripping over them.
And so one time he was running towards me
and I could see the look of terror in his face.
And he fell over and he convulsed a little bit.
And so we took him to the emergency room.
They confirmed that it was in fact a seizure.
Put him on medicine.
And a week later he was playing in the backyard with Brock,
and Brock came running in and said,
Bryson had fallen and he's not getting up.
And I looked out the back door,
and I saw that he wasn't moving.
And I thought that we had lost him.
- Oh my gosh.
- And he had a 15 minute long grand mall,
and 45 minutes unresponsive, which as a mom.
You know how long - I'm gonna be break
- that's gonna be. - down any second.
- That's. - It's so long.
- That's so terrifying. - Yes.
He's gone though, from a hundred seizures a day,
to now we can sometimes,
get him to go a day without a seizure.
(audience applauding) - One hundred a day?
- Yes. - Oh my gosh
- That's a lot on your body as well.
So, I mean at first you had issues
getting a helmet for him, right?
- That's correct.
Yes, our doctor told us that it was medically necessary.
He was having a hundred a day.
He couldn't even get off the couch without having a seizure.
- And it was hard to get that...
- They won't, the insurance denied it.
Even though doctors are saying, you know,
he has to have one. - Yeah.
- And so we ended up getting one,
and my dad called the Saints immediately,
and asked them, my grandson has to wear this helmet.
We gotta make it cool.
And they sent us their helmet decals, that they have,
that they put on their helmets.
- Yeah. (audience applauding)
- So that we can make his helmet
look like a real football player.
- Absolutely.
And it makes it cool. - Yes.
Yeah. - Gotta make it cool.
- Oh my God.
So Brock and Bryson you guys decided
to help other kids who need helmets, right?.
- Yes, we would.
We would mail letters to NFL teams, NBA teams,
NHL teams, and other famous people, hoping for a response.
And if they do send something back,
we'll auction it off online or at a live event,
like we have one coming up.
And if we can sell them for enough,
we'll buy helmets for kids like Bryson who suffer epilepsy.
- That's an amazing thing to do.(audience applauding)
Bryson, is it cool to be able to help out other kids
that are in your position that have epilepsy as well?
- Yes. - Yeah.
It's cause you look pretty rad my man.
I'm just saying in that helmet right now.
So you've gotten helmets from some superstars, right?
So who's sent stuff? We wanna brag about 'em.
- Oh, we have gotten a (indistinct) helmet.
A (indistinct) helmet.
A game ready, Tom Brady helmet,
from the Patriots.
And a guitar, a signed guitar from Little Big Tell.
- Oh, I love Little Big Tell.(audience applauding)
- We've got a basketball and Jersey from Kobe Bryant.
We've had four helmets signed by the LA Kings,
and a Chiefs helmet signed by Mecole Hardman.
- Oh my gosh. (audience applauding)
And this is great, cause all that raises money
to be able to pay for these helmets for kids.
- It's been amazing.
We've had about 150 people reach out to us,
which was the most amazing thing.
We haven't purchased one thing.
And so they have 150 celebrities have sent them things
in order to buy over 50 helmets for other kids.
- Oh my gosh.(audience applauding)
Our next guest reached out to Helmets4Helmets,
when their son Colin, was diagnosed with epilepsy.
And they say this family helped them
get through the hardest parts.
Let's say hi to Dakiti, Anton, London and Colin.
Hi. (audience applauding)
- Hi guys.
- Nice to see you.
Thank you so much for joining us.
Dakiti, I'm gonna start with you.
So take us back to when Colin was diagnosed.
- Sure.
So Colin was diagnosed when he was two with epilepsy.
We noticed that he just was unresponsive.
I was helping him change his clothes
and I noticed something wasn't right.
And so after taking him to the doctor
and as the years progressed, he got on medication,
and he started having these drop seizures.
I didn't know what to do.
You know, it's a very scary thing.
Were very private.
And I couldn't figure it out.
You know, as a mom you wanna fix it.
Put a bandaid on it. We're good.
Well, that didn't happen. Couldn't do that.
I became very withdrawn.
Didn't really wanna talk to anyone about it
because I was figuring it out myself,
until we heard Bryson's story.
My husband reached out to Helmets4Helmets.
And I just have to say that by him doing that,
that was gosh, sorry.
That was the biggest point for me,
and the inspiration just to see his story.
And just to see Sarah's determination
that gave me the strength to start talking about epilepsy.
And so at that point, Colin got his helmet.
And Colin, can you show you your helmet?
Colin got his helmet. He was so excited.
You know, so happy he wore his helmet to school.
Colin, what did they call you
when you wore your helmet to school?
(indistinct) (cheering and applauding)
And so he's going to school.
And we're happy to say, very happy to say,
that today after medications
and weaning off some in surgery
that he is drop seizure free.
- Oh my gosh. (audience applauding)
What a blessing.
I'm just hearing you mamas talk about this,
and daddy's like seeing your kid.
You get that helplessness that like I don't know what to do.
And you wanna, oh, I
I can't even imagine how terrifying that is.
That's such good news though Colin.
So Dakiti, Anton and London.
I know that you have something that you wanna say
to Bryson and his family, so go ahead and go for it.
- First of all, I just wanna say mom to mom,
you have been such an inspiration to me.
Bryson is such an amazing little hero for Colin,
and for our family.
And I just wanna tell you that, you know
we love your family and we love you guys so much
because as you have changed our lives,
and thank you for helping me through it
in the middle of the night different time zones,
asking questions.
So thank you so much.
- Aww. (audience applauding)
That's awesome.
To have someone to talk to.
That would've helped you, right?
- Yes.
- Had you had someone to call?
- Yes. You feel like you're on an island by yourself.
You really do.
Because, like Dakiti was saying,
people don't talk about it.
I think there's a stigma,
and that's why we wanted to really break that.
- And you're scared. - And you're scared,
and you don't know what's happening
and you don't know how to fix it.
And as a mama, you just wanna fix it, and you can't.
And that's so hard.
- Yeah. But look, you've helped Colin.
- I know. It's amazing.
- It has to feel good.
- It does, yes.
Well, we reached out Academy Sports and Outdoors,
and they love the work
that y'all are doing at Helmets4Helmets.
So to help you keep more families safe
they're donating $5,000.
- Oh my gosh. (audience applauding)
- And also I'm gonna throw in $5,000.
(audience applauding) - And also,
So I have, I dunno if this is gonna make much money
which is why I'm also giving you the five grand personally,
but it might get you something.
Cause they're only giving out to my teams on the voice.
So anyway, I signed this is a team Kelly dragon.
And I signed it.
So anyway, I'm giving you money
just in case it makes nothing.
(everybody laughing)
(cross talking)
But it might make something.
So y'all can sell this and buy some outfits, but anyway.
Please let us know anything we can ever do.
We love what you're doing and it's very important.
I'm so glad y'all here to share this message with everyone.
Thank you.
- Thank you so much - Absolutely.