Parents of late actor Cameron Boyce push for epilepsy cure: 'We felt betrayed'
Boyce's parents are sharing his story, their story, to bring awareness to epilepsy and their efforts to help others. Their son died in 2019.
Disney star Cameron Boyce was 17 when he was diagnosed with epilepsy. He had suffered only five seizures in his life, including the fatal one in 2019. After his death, his parents Victor and Libby Boyce began to learn more about his diagnosis – and how little they and his doctor had known about Cameron's epilepsy.
Amid their grief, they launched The Cameron Boyce Foundation to carry on his legacy and advocate for those with epilepsy, with a goal of finding a cure for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Most cases of SUDEP, like Cameron's, happen during or immediately after a seizure – a fact neither he nor his parents knew.
Dr. Vivek Mehta, an epileptologist at Hoag Memorial Hospital in Orange County, California, which has a Level 4 epilepsy center, is a board member for the nonprofit foundation formed by Cameron's parents.