A light in the dark In the United States, epilepsy affects approximately 3.4 million individuals, including 470,000 children, with about 30 to 40% of these patients not responding to conventional medications, according to the CDC. Lily’s Lighthouse and Realm of Caring have worked together since January to put together a pre-clinical study, hoping to provide new avenues for those unaided by traditional therapies. Lily’s story Founded by Sarah-Kate Boylan, Lily’s Lighthouse is a nonprofit to seek innovative non-traditional treatments for intractable epilepsy. Lily was just 5 weeks old when she was diagnosed and for over 7 years, Lily and her family were in and out of hospitals trying to manage her condition. In 2021, Lily’s mom Sarah discovered studies on the benefits of functional mushrooms and dove headfirst into the research. With continuous use of functional mushrooms alongside anti-seizure medication, Lily went from having an average of 50 seizures a day to roughly one every few months. Early potential Early observations suggest reishi mushrooms possess anticonvulsant properties, while lion’s mane mushrooms can foster neural regeneration, offering promising avenues for epilepsy treatment. Observational study goals Unlimited Sciences and Realm of Caring, led by Dr. Matthew X. Lowe, are spearheading the study who focuses on the anticonvulsant properties of reishi and the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of lion’s mane. The team needs help fundraising to reach the step in the research campaign Read more.