Seven years ago Cal assistant running back coach Aristotle Thomspon’s son, Bryson, had his first epileptic seizure due to Dravet syndrome. Life for the Thompsons has been vastly different ever since that day. Due to the multiple seizures Bryson deals with on a daily basis it was recommended that he be equipped with a special protective helmet to keep him safe. When insurance denied payment for the helmet, a local charity in California, Jack’s Helping Hand, stepped in and said they would pay for the helmet. That stuck with not only coach Thompson, but his entire family. In a moment, they decided that they wanted to give back by forming a nonprofit to help other children dealing with epilepsy. The foundation, called Helmets4Helmets, has already provided helmets to over 30 kids dealing with epilepsy. Coach Thompson shares his story publicly and uses his platform as a coach to advocate for those in need of medical helmets. But the majority of the work to raise the money to buy these helmets falls to Brock and Bryson.
Aristotle Thompson
