Health
New Jersey man with epilepsy uses hand-painted seashells to help find a cure
Greater epilepsy awareness could be as simple as a walk on the beach, thanks to one New Jersey man.
Kyle Adamkiewicz, 33, has lived with epilepsy since being diagnosed at age 6. He is now combining his love of art with the power of nature to help bring his seizure disorder into the spotlight.
In Oct. 2022, Adamkiewicz began collecting seashells from the New Jersey shore, then painting and decorating them with heartfelt messages in search of a cure. He places his works of art along the seaside boardwalks in the hopes that they will inspire strangers to spread the word — and the shells.
OHIO WOMAN WITH EPILEPSY FINDS SAFETY WITH HER SERVICE DOG
“It started with just painting a few shells, and I figured no one would find them,” Adamkiewicz said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“And then I saw people posting them online, and writing so many good and positive comments about the shells and about finding a cure for epilepsy. That motivated me to keep making more and more and more.”
Kyle Adamkiewicz, shown above, now 33, has lived with epilepsy since he was diagnosed at age 6. He is combining his love of art with the power of nature to help raise awareness of his disease. (Adamkiewicz family)
“And now they have been around the entire world.”
Adamkiewicz doesn’t drive, so his parents — Chuck and Laurie Adamkiewicz — drive him to place his shells.
PENNSYLVANIA MOM SEEKS ‘PERFECT MATCH’ BONE MARROW DONOR TO CURE DAUGHTER’S RARE DISORDER: ‘CRUCIAL NEED’
“We have shells with us in the car all the time, and he places them in different locations, different towns,” his mother told Fox News Digital.
Adamkiewicz estimates that he’s painted some 1,100 shells so far.
Many include messages about finding a cure for epilepsy, but he has also created themed designs for various occasions, like Shark Week and Halloween.
Adamkiewicz has painted over 1,000 shells so far. “Our entire living room consists of nothing but shells and paint,” joked Adamkiewicz’s mother. (Adamkiewicz family)
“Our entire living room consists of nothing but shells and paint,” joked Adamkiewicz’s mother.
In addition to a hand-painted design, each shell contains Adamkiewicz’s initials, the year he decorated it and a QR code.
When people find the shells and scan the QR code, it takes them to a website. From there, they can access Adamkiewicz’s Facebook group, his Instagram account and a GoFundMe page set up to help raise funds for people to get “seizure alert” dogs.
THE GIRL WHO CAN’T SMILE: HOW A RARE DISORDER BECAME A YOUNG WOMAN’S ‘GREATEST GIFT’
It also links to the Epilepsy Foundation website, where people can learn what to do if they witness someone having a seizure.
“Most people don’t really know how to handle someone if they’re having a seizure,” Adamkiewicz told Fox News Digital. “They just turn their back and walk the opposite way.”
In addition to a hand-painted design, each shell contains Adamkiewiczs’s initials, the year he decorated it and a QR code. (Adamkiewicz family)
“One out of 26 people in the world have epilepsy, but it’s basically a hidden disease that nobody really wants to know about.”
The Adamkiewicz family has a map of the world hanging on the wall — with pushpins to mark where the shells have been found, they told Fox News Digital.
In addition to locations across the U.S., shells have also been scanned in Mexico City, Greece, Italy, Panama, Canada, Nova Scotia, France, South Korea and Germany, Adamkiewicz said.
“One out of 26 people in the world have epilepsy, but it’s basically a hidden disease.”
“People will find the shells and take them to those places,” Adamkiewicz said. “And sometimes people will ask me for shells to take to wherever they are traveling.”
He’s also partnered with the hospital to get kids with epilepsy involved in his project, bringing shells in for them so they can paint their own designs.
Touching lives
Beyond helping to find a cure, Adamkiewicz has a goal of reducing bullying of people with epilepsy.
Adamkiewicz is pictured with his mother, Laurie Adamkiewicz. In April, he underwent a procedure to implant a responsive neurostimulation (RNS) device in his brain, which will gather data about his seizure activity. (Adamkiewicz family)
“When I was growing up, if my parents or brother weren’t there, I was always made fun of in school and in the neighborhood,” Adamkiewicz said. “Especially right after I had a seizure — the kids would just stare at me and make fun of me.”
He went on, “I want people to know it’s OK to be friends with someone with epilepsy.”
OHIO BOY, 8, PREPARES FOR BLINDNESS: ‘IT’S HEARTBREAKING,’ HIS MOM SAYS
At one point, during second and third grade, he estimates that he was having 100 seizures per day.
“It’s been a very hard and lonely life for Kyle, and very painful to see as a mother and father,” Laurie Adamkiewicz added.
The goal, she said, is that the shells will help to make life a little easier for those with epilepsy — and their families.
Adamkiewicz said his seashell project has been a therapeutic endeavor for him. “If it’s been a really bad day, that’s mostly what I’ll be doing,” he said. (Adamkiewicz family)
Adamkiewicz’s mother recalled a man who posted about a personal experience on the Facebook group.
“His son had passed away, and the man goes to the ocean every morning to say good morning to his son,” she said. “And there was the epilepsy shell, and he said he started crying. He said it was just like a gift to him.”
She added, “You never know whose lives you’re touching.”
Taking control
Since age 12, Adamkiewicz has been a patient at NYU Langone’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, one of the largest programs in the nation, where he’s had a series of brain surgeries.
NEW JERSEY TWINS RECEIVE MATCHING HEART SURGERIES AFTER MARFAN SYNDROME DIAGNOSIS: ‘A BETTER LIFE’
In April, he underwent a procedure to implant a responsive neurostimulation (RNS) device in his brain, which will gather data about his seizure activity.
Neurosurgeon Peter Rozman, M.D., performed the surgery alongside his mentor, Werner K. Doyle, M.D., Adamkiewicz’s longtime doctor.
Adamkiewicz and his mom, Laurie Adamkiewiz, are pictured with some of his painted shells. (Adamkiewicz family)
“This system has the capacity to actually record brain activity in the form of electrical waves that detect when the seizures start, so it can deliver an impulse to the brain at that time, with the goal of aborting the seizure,” Rozman said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
The data collected by the device is sent to the neurologist, who uses that information to program the device to better capture and treat the seizures, he said.
“Over time, people see more and more improvement in their seizures,” Rozman said.
Rozman praised Adamkiewicz’s seashell project, emphasizing the importance of increasing awareness of the condition.
“And it gives him an outlet, too,” the doctor said. “Having other people to talk about your condition with and being part of a community can be very helpful.”
Each shell contains a QR code that a person can scan to access information, resources and fundraisers for epilepsy. (Adamkiewicz family)
In a way, Rozman said, Adamkiewicz is turning his epilepsy into a good thing.
“It’s beneficial on both sides — for raising awareness and also allowing Kyle to have more control and to drive the story,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“It can be such a devastating thing to have to deal with on a daily basis, and having some sort of license and control over that is really important.”
Adamkiewicz agreed that his project has been a therapeutic endeavor for him.
“We want to teach people how to be kind, and how to help.”
“If it’s been a really bad day, that’s mostly what I’ll be doing,” he said.
“Like earlier today, I was painting some shells and had my ear buds in, just listening to some music. I’m just so focused on painting the shells that I zone everybody else out.”
Adamkiewicz’s shells have been found in many cities and countries around the world, including in Paris, France. (Adamkiewicz family)
Adamkiewicz and his mother are also working on a children’s book to teach kids more about epilepsy and what to do if someone is having a seizure.
“When someone has a seizure, it can be frightening to other children,” said Laurie Adamkiewicz mother.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
“So the goal is to get some information out there, to take the stigma away from the person who has epilepsy … We want to teach people how to be kind, and how to help.”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE GETTING YOUR FLU SHOT, ACCORDING TO DOCTORS
Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
HOW LONG YOU’RE CONTAGIOUS WITH THE FLU — AND WHEN IT’S SAFE TO GO OUT
The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
RESEARCHERS LOCKED FLU PATIENTS IN A HOTEL WITH HEALTHY ADULTS — NO ONE GOT SICK
The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
FREQUENT HEARTBURN MAY BE A WARNING SIGN OF A MORE DANGEROUS CONDITION, DOCTOR SAYS
The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
BACTERIA IN YOUR MOUTH MAY TRAVEL TO THE GUT AND TRIGGER STOMACH CANCER, RESEARCH FINDS
After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
-
Finance2 minutes agoHouston budget amendment would give financial assistance to help those impacted by a trash fee
-
Fitness9 minutes agoHow Jeremy Clarkson Reset His Health and Fitness at 66 – Walking, Pilates and Trying ‘Not to Die’
-
Movie Reviews17 minutes ago
Movie Review: Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas hit the right notes in ‘Power Ballad’
-
World22 minutes agoTrump Says Iran Has Agreed to Not Have a Nuclear Weapon
-
News32 minutes agoHow Each House Member Voted on the Iran War Powers Resolution
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoFirings at CBS’ ’60 Minutes’ reflect the fight for media control in the age of Trump
-
Technology1 hour agoMicrosoft Is Pulling the Plug on Publisher This Fall. These 8 Alternatives Prove You Don't Need It
-
World1 hour agoTrump expands Cuba sanctions beyond US companies in major crackdown on foreign enablers
