Seized: Inside the Mystery of Epilepsy documentary. Amy Mortiz was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 13, for years she battled with seizures and now at the age of 48 she has not had one for over 10 years. Amy considers herself to be one of the lucky ones nevertheless her parter Peter Schnall, seven-time Emmy Award-winning film director and producer decided to make a documentary film about epilepsy to help improve public understanding and knowledge. There are over five million people who suffer with this illness in the United States alone which is a neurological disorder causing uncontrollable and unpredictable seizures.
To make the documentary Schnall followed four families effected by the disease and shows just what troubles they have to got through on a daily basis just to get by. To rid themselves of the disease patients in the film are using a number of different treatments some of which are unorthodox and some extreme. Davinsky is testing the effects of cannabidoil, an extract from medical marijuana, on those who suffer from epilepsy. Ouida Foster of Boston who features in this documentary went through radical surgery to overcome epilepsy.