PELHAM, Alabama -- Today's rally in Pelham in support of Alabama legalizing a marijuana-derived substance called cannabidiol that could help hundreds of children in the state suffering from seizures attracted numerous parents in search of hope where medicine has failed.

They have heard success stories involving children, mainly from Colorado with pro-marijuana laws, who have seen a drastic reduction -- even elimination -- of seizures by using CBD oil from a specialized strain of marijuana.

In attendance were the Birmingham-area's Dustin and Amy Chandler, whose daughter, Carly, suffers from a rare genetic disorder that causes frequent, severe seizures. The bill under consideration by the state Legislature is called Carly's Law.

Here are some of those families and their stories:

Bonita Anderson of Tuscaloosa sits with her oldest son, Ty, who's 19 years old and suffers from epilepsy that causes six to 10 grand mal seizures monthly and a seizure about every 10 seconds in his brain. "Over the last 13 years, he has lost the ability to read, he has lost the ability to do math, he has lost the ability to communicate," Anderson said. (Martin J. Reed / mreed@al.com)

Tuscaloosa: Bonita Anderson's oldest son, Ty, was a normal, healthy baby. She thought he had advanced intelligence, learning double-digit addition and subtraction at age 5.

When he was 6, he developed a severe form of epilepsy that caused him to have 25 to 40 seizures every day. Doctors still don't know his medical condition's cause.

Now, at age 19, he has about six to 10 grand mal seizures each month, but his brain has a seizure about every 10 seconds. "Over the last 13 years, he has lost the ability to read, he has lost the ability to do math, he has lost the ability to communicate," Anderson said.

"Ty has been on every family of anticonvulsants over the last 13 years. He's also had a vagal nerve stimulator," which is "sort of like a pacemaker for the brain," she said. "With each new medication we try, he will have a slight outward improvement. So just over the 13 years, each thing we try, he does have fewer and fewer grand mal seizures, but the inward seizures are still every 10 seconds."

She is hoping that Alabama lawmakers legalize the use of cannabidiol to help her child and hundreds of others in the state who could see potential, lifesaving benefits.

"We're not trying to get our children high. We're trying to give them medication," she said. "He will not be smoking marijuana. He will not be getting high."

Knowing that a medication is legal elsewhere in the country but outlawed in her home state is heart-wrenching for Anderson. "If I told you, yes, we have a cure for your disease, but in order for you to get this cure you have to go to Alaska and stay there forever," she said.

If the state does not legalize the medication, Anderson is ready to uproot her family consisting of her husband, Curt, and their children Ty, Jon and Drew from Tuscaloosa to move to Colorado. Ty is scheduled to start the treatment using a specialized form of CBD oil on Oct. 1.

"We just want people to be educated about the process," Anderson said. "Tell me why I'm wrong. Why should I not be doing this for my children? If I'm right, then help me educate other people, help me educate the legislators to get this passed."

She worries about the medication that Ty is currently taking. "They are depressants. They are barbiturates. They are doing physical and mental damage to his body and mind. This is a derivative from a plant. It's just like any other medication we have on the market," she said.

She pointed to morphine as a legal substance that "has no medical value whatsoever," she said. "If you were to use morphine on a consistent basis for two weeks, you will die. ... This oil can be used every day on a very consistent basis for the rest of someone's life and there are no known side effects, except maybe the munchies."

She added: "I just want for our legislators to pass Carly's Law so that we can try this medication that has been proven to help my son."

Carrie Akins of Gulf Shores holds her 7-year-old daughter, Avery, who was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome and has six to 10 seizures a day. (Martin J. Reed / mreed@al.com)

Gulf Shores: Carrie Akins knows that each seizure could mean the death of her 7-year-old daughter.

And Avery, who has suffered from Rett Syndrome since she was born, has six to 10 seizures a day. "That has such a profound effect on her brain cognitively," Akins said.

So the idea of Alabama lawmakers potentially legalizing cannabidiol could be a life-saver for her daughter.

"We're kind of at our last straw with Avery and medical intervention," the mother said, noting the high-profile success story of Charlotte Figi in Colorado whose seizures have nearly disappeared through the medication.

"When I hear stories like Charlotte's, I can't help but hope that Avery will benefit from the same thing," she said. "It's basically our last hope. Without it Avery could die -- tomorrow."

Avery cannot use her hands. She can't walk or talk. She uses a feeding tube. She's talking three forms of medication and has had a vagal nerve stimulator to treat her epilepsy.

"It only takes one seizure to cause SUDEP," Akins said, referring to "sudden unexpected death in epilepsy."

Avery continues to have seizures while using the doctor-prescribed medical treatments. The medications "have very troubling side effects: loss of control of her body, sleepiness, lethargy, loss of appetite," as well as hair loss and Parkinsonian tremors, Akins said.

Relocating to a state where the CBD oil is legal is not a likelihood for Akins. "I'm a single mom and my support system is here" in Gulf Shores, she said.

Nick and Jessica Nichols of Chelsea hold their 21-month-old child, Tripp, who was diagnosed with infantile spasms at 4 months. Their child, who has blindness and a variety of seizures, is undergoing treatment in Memphis at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis. (Martin J. Reed / mreed@al.com)

Chelsea: Jessica and Nick Nichols have a 21-month-old child named Tripp, who was diagnosed with infantile spasms at 4 months old. Their child, who has blindness and a variety of seizures, is undergoing treatment at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.



Tripp functions at about a 4-month-old level. "He can't walk, talk, sit, stand or crawl," Jessica said.

"He's on four meds, four different seizure meds," she said. "We think they're responsible for some of his global delays and we feel like if we can get him off the meds and reduce the side effects of those, his development would improve."

They hope for the opportunity to be able to use the CBD oil medication to treat Tripp's seizures. "He could come off all his meds and reduce the side effects and see some developmental improvements," his mother said. "We're far less concerned with the side effects of a plant than all the drugs he's on."

For Jessica and Nick, the situation is frustrating.

"Nothing makes a parent more upset than watching your child" suffer through the symptoms, Nick said. "We've had discussions about moving to states that do allow" the CBD medication.

He noted the recent support by the Epilepsy Foundation for use of CBD to treat seizures. "The top neurologist in the country is saying more states need to embrace this, but people are worried about their political careers versus their children," he said.

"It's frustrating to know you're so close," Jessica added. "There's something out there that could potentially be life-changing for your family and your child, and to be so close and told no, it's heartbreaking. ...

"It hurts because nothing hurts you like when your kids suffer. And to be so close, it's painful," she said.

Lageita Yarbrough of Haleyville holds a sign in support of Carly's Law and her granddaughter Allie Swann, who has moved with her parents, Butch and Mandy Swann, to Colorado in order to take the marijuana-derived cannabidiol treatment for her seizures. (Martin J. Reed / mreed@al.com)

Haleyville: Lageita Yarbrough wants her family back.

Her daughter Mandy Swann moved to Colorado last year with her husband, Butch, and their children in order to allow their teenage daughter, Allie, to use the CBD oil medication.

"I want them home," said Yarbrough, sitting in a wheelchair. "It's been bad. I cry every day for my babies. Now I've got cancer and it's twice as hard."

Allie has been using the CBD oil from the specialized marijuana strain known as Charlotte's Web, named for Charlotte Figi, since Nov. 21. Previously, Allie suffered from violent seizures that would cause her to drop to the ground each day.

"Allie is doing better," her grandmother said. "She doesn't have any more drop seizures. She's walking without a limp now."

In a photo, Allie is displaying a large smile. "She doesn't look like she's doped up all the time," Yarbrough said, holding a poster sign that stated "Mamaw and Papaw want their grandbabies home ... Please support Carly's Law."

"I hope to see that this opens up people's eyes to what this really means, that this could benefit not only epilepsy and seizures but cancer and other illnesses. And it's a lot safer than these strong pain pills they're dishing out," she said.