ABOUT ERIC

During the summer of 2005, Eric Dolch was like most teenagers, hanging out with his buddies, playing paintball and getting ready to attend high school at Cardinal Newman in West Palm Beach.

In mid-June, Eric – then 14 -- started having headaches and developed a low-grade fever. Four days later he was hospitalized at St. Mary’s Medical Center/Nicklaus Children’s Hospital after he awoke disoriented and unable to see well. After having seizures in the ER, doctors diagnosed Eric with a severe case of encephalitis due to a brain infection and he was placed in a medically-induced coma to protect his brain.

Eric was quickly airlifted to Miami Children’s Hospital, where he remained in the coma for 115 days, a record at the time at the hospital. Eric was alive but he had been left severely disabled by the encephalitis. In early 2006, Eric flew on a medical jet to Spaulding Rehabilitation in Boston for 2 ½ months, but was unable to make much progress with his rehabilitation because of seizures.

Eric was airlifted back to Miami Children’s Hospital (now Nicklaus Children’s Hospital) before finally returning home on Labor Day weekend in 2006 after more than 15 months in hospitals. He eventually underwent two brain operations to help prevent the seizures.

Now 32, Eric continues to make recovery from his near-fatal illness in West Palm Beach by taking part in physical therapy weekly, and speech therapy and swimming occasionally. Eric has had a lot of challenges in his life, but he continues to confront them with courage and a strong will to live.