Published: January 21, 2026
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Tomeka Cannon noticed the symptoms early, when her 8-month-old daughter, Laneesha, experienced her first grand mal seizure.
“I called an ambulance, and the paramedics told me seizures can happen in kids with fevers,” Tomeka said. “I said, ‘But she doesn’t have a fever, so that doesn’t make sense.’”
That episode was the start of a long journey, one stretching three decades.
Laneesha eventually was diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a complex, rare and severe form of epilepsy, as well as a 6q12 deletion, a chromosomal abnormality. For Laneesha, these diagnoses meant daily seizures, developmental delays and intellectual disabilities. Much of Laneesha’s early life was spent in doctors’ offices, searching for ways to reduce the constant seizures.
“When [the seizures] started, she had 13 grand mal seizures a day,” Tomeka said. “We tried different medications, and the seizures dropped to about 10 a month. Help was coming from every direction, even when I didn’t ask for it. And even with her epilepsy, our normal was beautiful.”
Getting appropriate medical care became more difficult as Laneesha grew up and aged out of pediatric care. Resources seemingly thinned out, waiting lists grew and Tomeka found herself navigating the medical system alone.
“I never thought it would be this hard when she became an adult,” Tomeka said. “I could see my daughter needed things, and I couldn’t help her, although I tried my best. I went to different places. I called different places. Making the connection and getting the services became two different things.”
“It was a pretty rough road to navigate.”
Pat and Laura Abell know this feeling.
Their son — Jeremy — was diagnosed with SETD1B-related neurodevelopmental disorder, a genetic mutation characterized by intellectual disability, language delay, seizures and, in some cases, developmental regression. As a child, Jeremy experienced 30 to 50 absence seizures a day, totaling over 100,000 throughout his life.
“When he was younger, it was terrible,” Laura said. “He would try to do a simple task, have multiple seizures and eventually fall asleep. In school, he needed an assistant with him all the time. He couldn’t play on the playground, walk up and down stairs, or do other typical things without support. Because of safety issues, his seizures prohibited him from doing many things his peers could do.”
According to Pat, Jeremy’s learning and development were affected.After trying multiple medications, a ketogenic diet and eventually a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS), the family finally found a combination that lowered his seizure frequency. Around age 8, his symptoms stabilized, thanks to both the VNS implant and new medication. Still, finding an adult neurologist who understood him remained a challenge.
David A. Robertson, M.D., neurologist with Norton Neuroscience Institute, found his calling at a summer camp.
In 2000, prior to attending medical school, Dr. Robertson worked as a counselor at Camp Barnabas, a camp in Southwest Missouri for children with disabilities. While there, he saw a boy who used a wheelchair, living with profound cerebral palsy.
Dr. Robertson was unsure how the child would participate in camp life, but his perspective changed quickly.
“In three days, a young boy in a wheelchair showed me more joy, courage and resilience than I had ever witnessed,” Dr. Robertson said. “That experience certainly influenced my worldview.”
After completing his training, Dr. Robertson opened a practice in Evansville, Indiana, caring for both pediatric and adult patients. His work with children with intellectual disabilities earned him respect and led to a connection with Vinay Puri, M.D., chief of pediatric neurology at Norton Children’s Neuroscience Institute.
Dr. Robertson later moved to Louisville, splitting time between pediatric and adult neurology before joining Norton Neuroscience Institute in 2024 as an adult multiple sclerosis specialist, though his passion for neurodevelopmental care remained.
In April 2025, he launched the Norton Neuroscience Institute Adult Neurodevelopmental Program, designed specifically to fill the care gap many patients face when transitioning out of pediatric neurological care. The program provides specialized care for adults with conditions like autism, cerebral palsy, genetic disorders, developmental delay and childhood-onset neurological diseases. The goal: provide continuous, coordinated care that bridges the gap between pediatric and adult services.
According to Tomeka, when she learned her daughter would soon graduate out of pediatric care, she panicked.
“I’m freaking out; I’m crying. I’m thinking to myself, ‘What do I do now [and] where do we go?’” Tomeka said.
At their final pediatric appointment, a nurse practitioner mentioned Dr. Robertson.
In five years under Dr. Robertson’s care, Laneesha’s seizures decreased to just a couple per month. According to Tomeka, a special connection formed between Dr. Robertson and her daughter.
“There were so many times that when I ran into roadblocks, I shut down and got depressed,” Tomeka said. “I would come home and I would cry. I felt like [Laneesha] was lost in the cracks and nobody cared. I felt like I was alone. But Dr. Robertson and his team helped me see the light. I think everything started becoming clearer when her seizures decreased and I saw her happy. That’s when I was able to breathe again.”
Jeremy, who had seen Dr. Puri during childhood, began seeing Dr. Robertson at age 19.
At that time his seizures were under control, but in 2020, everything shifted.
The formerly lively, funny, video-creating teenager suddenly stopped speaking. Dr. Robertson initially suspected behavioral changes, but the Abells hesitated to accept the explanation.
Then, he began curling his left hand in a fist, while using his right hand exclusively as a pincer. Next, he stopped turning his neck.
“At this point, we’re thinking in six months he’s probably going to be in a wheelchair, and I was getting nervous,” Pat said. “It just seemed like his body was beginning to stop working.”
Then, something happened by chance.
While walking in The Parklands of Floyd’s Fork, the family crossed paths with Dr. Robertson on a bike ride with his son. He turned around, stopped and asked how Jeremy was doing — an impromptu doctor’s appointment in the park. Upon learning of the parents’ growing frustrations, Dr. Robertson told them to call the office, offering to help.
Soon after, Jeremy developed a foot drop — a condition where the front part of the foot does not lift normally when walking. Dr. Robertson connected the family to multiple specialists, including Dylan C. Brock, M.D., pediatric neurologist with Norton Children’s Neuroscience Institute, who ultimately confirmed the genetic SETD1B diagnosis. It helped the Abells find clarity and a path to better treatment.
“I just find it amazing,” Pat said. “He’s out on a bike ride with his son and decided to come back and talk to us. I find it amazing anyone would do it, let alone a doctor. No doctor’s ever done that for us before.”
Today, everything is once again under control, though Jeremy has not regained his speech. He has been seizure-free for six years without medication. He only follows up with Dr. Robertson yearly for maintenance.
“Hopefully [things do not regress], but if they do, we know the clinic will be there and will have more to offer as it continues to grow,” Laura said. “If Jeremy does have something else come up, we know who to call right away.
“It’s very comforting to know you have a very good resource that you can go to and you will be able to access in a reasonable time when you and your family need it. Just knowing you have someone who really takes a personal interest in his patients is comforting, and I know most doctors do, but with Dr. Robertson it’s different.”
Dr. Robertson has plans to expand the Adult Neurodevelopmental Program in the future.
In 2026, the program will add a dedicated advanced practice registered nurse, allowing more patients to be seen sooner and ensuring continuity of care for those with complex neurological needs. The long-term vision includes the possibility of a specialized cerebral palsy track, bringing together neurology, rehabilitation, therapy, and social support under one roof. For many families, the Adult Neurodevelopmental Program represents something they have never had: a true medical home in adulthood.
“Had we been introduced to him earlier, I believe this would’ve been easier,” Tomeka said. “Not only does Dr. Robertson care for his patients, but he makes sure to care for the family members too. He makes sure we’re mentally stable. He asks how we’re doing and what he can do to help and if we need any resources.”
For Tomeka, Dr. Robertson’s support became even more meaningful after an unthinkable loss. In November 2025, Laneesha passed away from SUDEP — sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Her life had been shaped by courage, joy and a mother’s relentless love, and her final years were filled with stability, laughter and the comfort of a physician who saw her fully.
Her story, Jeremy’s and so many others, continue to guide Dr. Robertson’s mission. Every resource or family helped is a reminder of why he pursued this specialty: to make sure adults with developmental conditions have access to compassionate care and personalized expertise.
“It’s the families,” Dr. Robertson said. “The joy I get to experience is being a part of these stories where we can encourage maximizing any individual’s potential of what they’re able to do. And even if I’m not the one doing it. and I’m connecting someone to a resource who can make this happen, that’s still rewarding to me.”