La Gaceta Newspaper

Roni-Kay Elser

Roni-Kay Elser was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was just six weeks old after experiencing a grand mal seizure that was sparked by a high fever. “I’ve known nothing else ever since,” she said.
The disorder runs in her family. “There’s a genetic line,” according to the West Palm Beach native. “My great grandmother, back in the day, had what they called ‘fits.’”
She didn’t let it stop her, though. He had two brother’s and her father was into sports, so she was an active youth who participated in gymnastics, figure skating, swimming and other activities. “I taught myself growing up with it and I could sense them coming on,” she said. “I’d get somebody or sit down. Ninety percent of the time, I had an aura and felt them coming on.”
In 1991, when Elser was in junior high school, her family moved to Polk County and she graduated from Bartow High School.
Since then, she’s enjoyed a varied career. Initially, she was interested in journalism. “I loved stories and wanted to get behind the scenes,” she said.
She’s worked in accounting, as well as environmental permitting and engraving.
But one of her early jobs was in the medical field. Because of her epilepsy, she was frequently at medical appointments. At one point, one of her doctors told her, “You can relate and you explain this better than I did to a patient and I didn’t have to question it,” she said. He hired her to do secretarial work in his office and she eventually became office manager.
After her divorce, Elser switched gears and began working for Hillsborough County Public Schools so she could be on the same daily schedule as her children. She was hired as a production coordinator for a school kitchen.
Today, she’s a student nutrition manager for two schools – Brandon High School and Wimauma Elementary School.
She’s also an activist in the epilepsy community. Even as a child, she was a poster child for the Epilepsy Foundation, speaking to reporters and at events to share her story, and attended a camp in the Everglades. “I always wanted to make people aware that we weren’t the only ones out there. There are other people out there,” she said.
By the time she was an adult, Elser was having eight to 10 seizures a day. The most she ever had in one day was 108. “It was so up and down,” she said. “I’d have months with them and a year without. There was such a fluctuation. And throughout my life, it was a rollercoaster of medication, trials and errors, and what have you.”
A pivotal moment came in January 2008. While driving on Interstate 75, she had a seizure behind the wheel. “Luckily, I got my friend’s attention or I wouldn’t be here today,” she said. “I said, ‘Enough’s enough. Something has to happen.’”
After some research, Elser learned that Tampa General Hospital was seeking qualified candidates for a new brain surgery. “It was high risk at the time,” she said.
Doctors concluded that all of her epilepsy activity was happening on the left side of her brain and gave her the green light for a temporal lobectomy on the left side of her brain. She was warned of some side effects, but she’s felt very few after the surgery and she hasn’t needed any medication since.
This success inspired her to found the Seize the Moment foundation. “I wanted to get the word out there,” Elser said.
The organization works closely with patients and educates the public about epilepsy and the various treatment options available to them. She and her team also assist with new patient consultations for TGH and she walks people through her experiences with surgery.
Seize the Moment also raises money to assist with medical expenses, such as copays, and also research and development in epilepsy. This is set up through a fund in collaboration with TGH and the University of South Florida physicians group.
For the last five years, Elser’s primary fundraisers have been sporting events – bowling outings and professional hockey, football, and baseball games – and a barbecue competition, Que for the Cure.
She launched the competition during the COVID-19 pandemic, and though she’s still building it up, she’s raised about $256,000 for the cause through all her events.
The next barbecue fundraiser, Que for the Cure, takes place Aug. 23 and 24 in Riverview. This year, 70 barbecue teams will compete in the event, which is also still seeking sponsors.
The event is inspired by her husband, a barbecue professional who owns a shop and makes and manufactures sauces and rubs. In fact, he’s even created two rubs and once sauce to sell as a fundraiser for Seize the Moment. They’re available at the upcoming barbecue competition.
Elser’s goal is to reach as many people as she can, whether it’s sponsoring patients or educating the community.
“(Epilepsy is) more common than you think. It’s more common than 90 percent of neurological disorders (like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis) but people can recognize them more than epilepsy,” she said.
In fact, one in 100 people have epilepsy, she added. “That’s about 67 million people worldwide. I just want to help as many people as possible and help the doctors who are helping them.”