Melinda Blalock on Surviving Her Son’s Seizures and Her Own Heart Surgery | Curveballs and Lemonade

What do you do when every doctor tells you your child is fine, but your gut tells you something is terribly wrong? In this episode of Curveballs and Lemonade, Judy Kogan sits down with Melinda Hughie Blalock to share her family’s extraordinary journey navigating pediatric epilepsy, medical advocacy, and resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges. Melinda opens up about her son Beck’s battle with drug-resistant epilepsy, the years of seizures that went undetected on EEGs, and the emotional toll of repeatedly being told nothing was wrong. After visiting four children’s hospitals without answers, Melinda refused to give up. Her relentless advocacy eventually led her family to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, where advanced testing uncovered the truth and changed Beck’s life. Melinda shares Beck’s journey through epilepsy surgery, VNS, and RNS devices, and the incredible milestone of becoming seizure-free after years of uncertainty. She also discusses her own life-threatening cardiac journey, including open heart surgery for an aortic aneurysm and later a mechanical valve replacement. This powerful conversation explores what it means to trust your intuition, advocate fiercely for your child, and keep searching for hope when the road feels impossible. If you or someone you love is navigating epilepsy, chronic illness, rare disease, caregiving, or medical uncertainty, this episode offers powerful insight, hope, and encouragement. Chapter List: 00:00 Welcome to Curveballs and Lemonade 00:10 Meet Melinda Hughie Blalock 02:18 Beck’s Seizure Journey Begins 04:22 The Epilepsy Diagnosis 05:42 When Medication Failed 07:09 Four Hospitals, No Answers 08:21 Fighting to Be Believed 09:53 Searching Outside California for Help 11:36 Flying to Memphis for Answers 14:56 The MEG Scan Changes Everything 16:28 Why Beck Wasn’t a Candidate for Brain Resection 17:23 Understanding the VNS Device 20:26 Beck’s First Surgery in Memphis 24:28 Life Before and After VNS 26:33 The RNS Device and Second Surgery 30:11 Celebrating Two Years Seizure Free 32:43 Melinda’s Life Threatening Heart Diagnosis 38:19 Open Heart Surgery and Recovery 42:23 Advice for Parents Seeking Answers 47:56 Beck’s Future and Final Thoughts Follow Melinda: @timinda New episodes drop every Thursday. Follow us on social media: Instagram: @Curveballsandlemonade Facebook: Curveballs and Lemonade TikTok:   / curveballsandlemonade   YouTube:    / @curveballsandlemonade   Recorded and produced by Command Creative Studios: https://www.commandcreativestudios.com/ Engineered by Robert Altschuler. HASHTAGS #CurveballsAndLemonade #EpilepsyAwareness #MedicalAdvocacy #CaregiverSupport #Resilience #PediatricEpilepsy