Too close to home: Bode Miller's younger brother died from a seizure

Yesterday was the final day of the Winter Olympic games in Sochi, Russia. We have spent hours of time and many late nights over the past two weeks watching the stories of triumph and tragedy for many Olympians. But there was one story that hit home more than the others - the story of skiing legend Bode Miller and the impact of his younger brother's sudden death from a seizure just last year.

It struck me as we watched these games, that the greatest Olympians are those who have mastered what it means to fall down and get back up again. Whether in figure skating, skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, or speed skating, the road to success has been paved with countless painful falls that leave their bodies bruised and broken. But the victors, the world champions, get back up and try again and again and again.

Such was definitely the case with American alpine skier, Bode Miller, who at 36 was competing in his fifth Olympic games (that's right 20 years). After Bode met with disappointment his first two races in this year's Olympics, he pushed out a performance that enabled him to tie for the bronze medal in the Super-G, making him the oldest Olympian to ever medal in alpine skiing. But the tears he shed following the race appeared to be more for his late younger brother who died from a seizure at the young age of 29. Of course Bode's tears were largely due to the NBC interviewer who seemed to push it too far and has since received much criticism.

Here's a short video about Bode's medal and post race experience.


Honestly, it was pretty difficult for Adrian and I to watch as the media told the story of his little brother Chelone and his untimely death. The young man was an aspiring Olympic snowboarder, an adventure seeker and a bit of a daredevil. He had suffered a traumatic brain injury caused by a dirt bike accident at age 20 and had been plagued with periodic seizures since then. He did not let the seizures get in the way of his love of flying down mountains at speeds of 80+ mph and trying new aerial tricks or of his pursuit to join his brother at the Olympics.

But his young dreams suddenly came to an end when he was found dead of an apparent seizure in April 2013. That was just one month after my husband's last major seizure, the one that prompted us to leave the home we had recently bought in Virginia and move back close to family in Delaware. I don't recall hearing about this story last April, when we were very much in the midst of our struggle with seizures. In fact, I'm glad I didn't hear this story at the time.

Weeks before Chelone's death, I had just witnessed my husband violently shaking on the floor at a car dealership, then watched him fight as they put him in the ambulance, and heard him ask to die as his body and mind endured agonizing pain. Yes, it was all very raw in my heart and mind in April. To hear that a vibrant and otherwise healthy young man had just died from a seizure would have been devastating. I think I can imagine how Bode Miller and his family must have felt upon receiving the news of Chelone's sudden death.

That is the real evil of seizures. Most of the time, you are perfectly fine and healthy, but then they hit like a lightening bolt. With no warning, no notice, they leave you completely impaired and unaware that you are putting yourself in dangerous situations.

It seemed particularly poignant as my research over this past year has led us to the conclusion that Adrian's sudden arrival of seizures in his 30s is a result of a traumatic brain injury he must have sustained as a youth. Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI is basically a result of a bump, blow or jolt to the head that causes damage to the brain, ranging from mild to extreme. While we can't exactly pin-point an incident with Adrian, we can think of several accidents in youthful play that might be the culprit.

Now that we are nearing the one year anniversary since Adrian's last seizure, we are so thankful to be experiencing the peace that we have. And while this news story had us both on edge, it was a reminder to be thankful yet ever cautious.

From what I read, Chelone was not on doctor recommended anti-seizure medications at the time of his death. He could not perform to his level of ability because the meds made him sluggish (Adrian has experienced this for sure!) so he was using natural remedies to try to treat his seizures. While many have suggested we try special diets and herbal remedies, at the end of the day, we have always felt that was too risky and never coincided with neurologists recommendations, so Adrian will continue with his daily medications for the foreseeable future.

While we can imagine the pain of Bode and his family's tragic loss, there is something admirable about the fearless and free spirited way that Chelone seemed to live his life. And congratulations to Bode Miller who persevered through heartache to get back up and fight for one more chance to stand on the Olympic podium.