Harrison Ford Recalls His Daughter's Struggle With Epilepsy
Star's daughter Georgia has battled epilepsy since she was a child.
— -- Harrison Ford opened up about his daughter's struggle with epilepsy at a New York City event to raise money for research and a cure for the disease.
The "Star Wars" star chaired NYU Langone Medical's Center's annual Finding A Cure for Epilepsy and Seizures (FACES) gala, which raised $5 million Monday night. He was there to honor Dr. Orrin Devinsky, who first diagnosed his daughter Georgia, 26.
"She is joining me to thank FACES," Ford, who was accompanied by his daughter with second wife Melissa Mathison, told the New York Daily News. "I admire a lot of things about her. I admire her perseverance, her talent, her strength. She’s my hero. I love her."
The 73-year-old actor, who has spoken publicly about his daughter's epilepsy before, told the newspaper that Devinksy has been "a great service to my family. I am grateful for that."
Later, during his speech at the gala, Ford recalled Georgia's battle with the disease. He said she had her first seizure during a childhood sleepover and was prescribed medicine for acute migraines.
"A few years later she had another big one, this one on a beach in Malibu, where a Hollywood director found her, luckily," Ford told the crowd, according to the Daily News. "I said to myself this is Los Angeles, we have some of the best doctors in the world, they must know what’s wrong with her. But nothing was diagnosed as epilepsy."
After Georgia experienced another seizure while studying in London, the family reached out to NYU, the actor said.
"Dr. Orinn Devinsky, who is a dear friend, made the diagnosis: epilepsy," Ford said, fighting back tears, according to the Daily News. "He prescribed the right medication and therapy; she has not had a seizure in eight years."