Little Girl's 'Newborn Jitters' Were Actually Recurring Seizures, and It Happens More Often Than You Think
Being a new parent is like taking on five new jobs at once, each offering absolutely zero training, no pay, and arduous hours. While it is undoubtedly one of the most blissful eras of our lives, most parents struggle to adjust to the major change. As a result, self-doubt has a way of creeping in, and concern is often written off as paranoia. But that first-time mom instinct is strong, and when you feel in your bones that something is off with your little one, the best thing in the world you can do is get it checked out.
When Veronica Monclova, 42, and Daniel Monclova, 40, welcomed their sweet girl Avie into the world, they, like most parents, watched her every move. Barely a month into her journey, they noticed she had some curious movements.
"After she was born and we took her home, I noticed she would squeeze to her left side and was told it was most likely just newborn jitters," Veronica told Parade.
However, her parents couldn't shake the feeling that something was still really off. It boiled down to one fateful night that would change their parenthood journey forever.
"One night, her eyes moved repeatedly up and down. I videotaped it and took her to Valley Children's Hospital. After watching the video, they admitted Avie, and that is when she was diagnosed with Focal Cortical Dysplasia (FCD). After hearing the diagnosis, I called my husband and family, and I immediately knew in that moment, no matter what, I would do whatever it takes to help her and stay strong for her."
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A Scary Diagnosis
FCD is a condition that causes epileptic seizures-a rare condition that typically impacts young boys more so than girls, making Avie's case even more uncommon. However, because the movements can sometimes be so subtle, they go undetected and can often lead parents and children down a more difficult medical path.
"Focal cortical dysplasia may remain asymptomatic and therefore, undiagnosed," explains Dr. Cesar Santos, who serves as the Director of the Neuroscience Center at Valley Children's Healthcare. "The initial presentation for those who are symptomatic can be quite broad and non-specific, including headache, developmental delay, speech delay, abnormal neurologic examination, developmental regression, and seizures."
Originally, Avie's doctors managed her condition with various medications, but ultimately, they didn't help Avie live a high-quality life.
"The biggest medical challenge was when medications that were controlling her seizures were no longer working for her, and she began to drag her right leg and lose strength in her right hand," Veronica recalls.
Santos explains that seizure medications are only effective in 65% of cases. When it came to Avie's seizures, hers were "medically refractory," so she underwent a number of evaluations, which included brain MRIs, EEGs (Electroencephalograms), and VEEGs (Video EEGs).
"When a patient like Avie has failed 2 or more seizure medications, the next step to take is to determine if epilepsy surgery is an option. In Avie's case, she has an extensive focal cortical dysplasia, which was causing her medically refractory epilepsy. Determining the part of the brain where a seizure starts is a huge undertaking. Then, if they are surgical candidates, the biggest concerns are the risks and complications related to surgery."
As it turned out, the next best move for Avie was to undergo brain surgery at the tender age of one, which is something every parent would naturally fear.
"After going to every appointment, following every instruction given by doctors, and seeing how she was dealing, a meeting was set up to discuss possible surgery," says Veronica. "I asked questions about the possible outcome and listened carefully to her doctors, I asked if this is it for her, if this is the last alternative for her. I was told yes, and I decided to move forward. I knew we had to try in order to help her stop the seizures that were happening all day and night."
A Big Surgery and a Big Change
On June 1, 2021, Avie underwent surgery to eliminate her escalating seizures. Luckily for the Monclova family, it went off without a hitch.
"After surgery, her recovery went pretty well," says Veronica. "She was no longer having seizures. She started regaining strength on her right side almost immediately. During her recovery, I would play Andrea Bocelli songs. It was very calming and comforting for her."
Now Avie is much like any other six-year-old, minus her incredible medical history.
"Today I can say for the moment, Avie keeps on amazing us with her resilience, strength, and her wonderful personality. She can speak for herself, loves learning, and is very tenacious," says Veronica.
However, that doesn't mean Avie and her family have been left on their own to manage her rare disease.
"Part of Avie's brain with focal cortical dysplasia has been removed, and the rest was disconnected, meaning, no longer connected to the rest of the brain," clarifies Santos. "Cortical dysplasia develops in utero, and it is not going to recur. However, if seizures have affected areas of the brain outside of the focal dysplasia due to recurrent seizures, her seizures can recur. So far, Avie has been seizure-free since surgery."
Avie continues to visit the clinic for regular follow-ups and has since been weaned off her maintenance seizure medication. If she remains seizure-free, she will eventually be discharged from the clinic entirely.
Now, Avie's parents just want other new parents to know that they are their child's biggest advocate and to keep pushing forward.
"No matter how sad and worried we felt sometimes, Avie always kept a smile and showed us what she was made of by learning to walk by herself," Veronica proudly states. "She would practice, even when she had seizures. Avie showed us she was determined; she just needed us to pay attention. Avie just needed us by her side. I hope people who are going through this know they are never alone. Love your child and keep strong, no matter what."
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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 3:06 AM.