Sophia Nazzarine, 5, was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 8-months-old. At such a young age, she continues to marvel her parents.

Advertisement Family wants medical marijuana legalized to help treat girl's epilepsy Sophia already had 3 brain surgeries, device put in chest Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Tri-State parents want medical marijuana legalized in Ohio to help their daughter live a more normal life.Sophia Nazzarine, 5, was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 8 months old. At such a young age, she continues to marvel her parents.“She's this amazing little girl," mother Nicole Nazzarine said. Watch this storyTo help reduce the seizures, Sophia has already had three brain surgeries and recently a device was put in her chest.“That was really hard and then we did it again because we thought the second time for sure has got to work,” Nicole Nazzarine said.Scott Nazzarine, Sophia’s father, said she’ll have 10 seizures on any given day, and that she’s been on numerous medications and nothing is working. Scott and Nicole want to turn to a different alternative – medical marijuana where oil is extracted and given to the child orally. “This CBD (cannabidiol) component of the marijuana plant has the same type of affect on the brain that many seizure medications do. It has a calming effect,” Nicole Nazzarine said.Ohio Gov. John Kasich voiced his stance against legalizing medical marijuana in 2012.Scott said he recently sent him a letter.“I just wanted him to think about it a little bit and I feel like he met somebody that's suffering like my daughter Sophia, it would at least make him think twice and maybe change his mind,” he said.Scott and Nicole said they hope to change others perception about medical marijuana too, and that it could be the only solution to giving their daughter a better life. “As of right now we've tried everything, and I feel like there's no reason we shouldn't be allowed to try this one final step,” Scott Nazzarine said.WLWT News 5 caught up with Kasich on Wednesday.Reporter: "There are a lot more dangerous drugs out there than cannabis or marijuana and they are in prescribed drugs. Why is that one?"Kasich: "Some of those drugs are things we're really worried about getting into the hands of our kids. So the answer is no I am not in favor of it."Sophia's parents are so desperate they've thought about moving to a state where medical marijuana is allowed since nothing else seems to be working.Nearly 2.3 million Americans have epilepsy and last month the Epilepsy Foundation called for increased medical marijuana access and research.