"Winning Kids"
Chosen to Represent all
Idaho Children With Epilepsy

Cody McNitt
"Winning Kid" for 1999-2000

Chief Joseph Elementary School in Meridian will have a very special 4th grader this year when Cody McNitt arrives for the first day of school. Nine year old Cody has been chosen to be the Epilepsy Foundation of Idaho's 1999-2000 "Winning Kid". And what a "WINING KID" he is! For starters, Cody plays basketball, baseball, roller and ice hockey, and golf, but his real passion is racing bicycle motor cross (BMX) which he started when he was just five years old. He quickly turned expert rank, and now lives for the chance to ride the dirt track, the jumps and fast corners.

Cody was Idaho's 1997 State Champion at age 7 and runner up the next year. He began 1999 with triumphs at the Silver Dollar National BMX competition in Reno, and this summer he tied for first place at the Idaho state championships. In November he will be competing in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Optimist football is also in Cody's life. On August 29 of this year, Cody made his first touchdown of the year, and it won't be his last at the rate he is going.

Cody also lives a life with epilepsy that includes daily medication, routine doctor appointments, and people's fears. However, as Mom, Lynn, and Dad, John, report, "He does not let his condition interfere with his goals or his love for sports. At the 1998 state champion race, Cody experienced tonic clonic (grand mal) seizures both nights prior to his big race. He put aside his exhaustion and fears and finished first. Currently Cody's seizures are relatively well controlled with Tegretol. He only has nighttime seizures when he is sleep deprived. Through it all, he has a way of making other people feel comfortable about his condition. He's never afraid to talk about it." With such an indomitable spirit and will to succeed, it is no wonder that this bright star is the Foundation's "Winning Kid".

In early October, the Epilepsy Foundation of Idaho visited Cody at Chief Joseph School in Meridian. He was presented with a certificate and a "Winning Kid" T-shirt. The Foundation Kids on the Block puppeteers introduced Brian and Joanne to Cody and his classmates, and with these two "kids", Cody had the opportunity to tell his epilepsy story in his own words.

The Epilepsy Foundation looks forward to an outstanding year with Cody McNitt as Idaho's "Winning Kid". In November, during Epilepsy Month, Cody will visit Governor Kempthorne and help with the annual proclamation signing. Cody will also have an opportunity to meet EFI board members throughout the year, and in spring of 2000 he will be nominated for National Epilepsy Foundation "Winning Kid". The Epilepsy Foundation of Idaho feels very fortunate to have such a remarkable young person to represent all Idaho children with epilepsy. Congratulations Cody McNitt!