Aspen Study wasn’t expected to survive birth, much less go out antelope hunting 16 years later and bag a huge buck.
But that’s exactly what the young Gillette resident did, two months after having major brain surgery to mitigate a rare disorder that’s caused her to suffer seizures and other debilitating symptoms her entire life.
She described the experience matter-of-factly during a telephone interview along with her parents, Veronica and Kory.
“It was a very fun thing to do. And it was great to be able to do something after surgery,” she said.
Next on her list is possibly filling a coveted tag that she drew for Elk Hunt Area 7 in southeast Wyoming, known for producing huge bulls.
“I’ll probably get a bigger bull than my dad’s,” she said confidently.
Years of Frustration
A brain disorder was detected when Aspen was still in the womb.
“We knew about 18 weeks into gestation that she was going to have issues. They actually didn’t expect that she was going to survive birth,” Veronica said.
Aspen survived and grew, and her parents tried to make life as normal as possible for her.
It was challenging, Veronica said.
“A simple day at the park for her was maybe 10 minutes before we had to go home because she was seizing or had to go home because she wasn’t feeling well,” she said.
Trying to find answers and possible treatment was daunting and frustrating, Kory said.
“We’ve been to Billings, Denver, and Casper. We’ve seen multiple specialists. We’ve been fighting this thing for 15 years,” he said
After years of testing, an exact cause was pinpointed: periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH), which causes temporal lobe epilepsy.
In July, she underwent surgery to remove malformed brain tissue that was triggering the seizures.
She hasn’t suffered any seizures since. And her family, which includes older brother Tyler, prays that the worst is over for her.
‘Bald Like Me’
The procedure that allowed Aspen to turn the corner was performed in Denver.
It involved inserting 26 metal probes into her brain.
Kolby said he joked with his daughter, saying, "You're going to be bald like me.”
But it turned out that shaving her head wasn’t necessary.
Instead, the lead surgeon spent about an hour "braiding Aspen’s hair into cornrows so that she could insert the probes through the skin between the rows,” Kory said.
After what seemed like a long while, the surgeons came to Aspen’s parents with news.
“The said, 'We found it’ (the spots of malformed tissue that were triggering the seizures),” Veronica said.
“They said, ‘We can fix it, but you have to make the decision now,’” she added.
Veronica and Kory quickly decided it was worth the potential risks.
“We were in a place where her health was starting to decline” if something wasn’t done soon, Veronica said.
If the seizures were to return, it was mostly likely to have happened within the first month after surgery. It’s been three months, Korey said.
Smile Worth A Million Bucks
Kory is a hunting guide, and he’d taken Aspen out before, but only close to home.
When Aspen drew an antelope tag for a prime hunting area near Lander, they expected it to be a multi-day outing. That was a huge step for her.
“We’d never hunted in that area before and didn’t have time to scout it,” Kory said.
Nevertheless, they started driving around the area, trying to spot antelope with binoculars.
It wasn’t long before they got a huge buck. He bedded down not far away, so Kory and Aspen decided to try stalking to within rifle range.
She was out of practice shooting because the doctors were worried about the effect of recoil on her brain immediately after surgery.
Luckily, they were able to close the gap to about 150 yards, close enough for a comfortable shot.
Aspen hit the buck on the first shot, then finished it off with a follow-up.
“I wish I would have taken a picture when she made that good shot. The smile on her face was worth a million bucks,” Kory said.
He added that the buck’s appearance so close to them, only two hours into the hunt, seemed like a twist of good fortune.
“Yes, that was really surprising,” Amber remarked.
‘Glad That I Can Do Different Things’
The elk hunt this month could still be touch-and-go, Kory said.
There’s the travel time to another corner of the state to consider, as well as Aspen’s remaining limitations.
It could take a year for her to fully recover from the surgery, and her long-term prognosis remains uncertain, Veronica said.
Aspen said she’s determined to keep pushing herself, so long as she’s having fun.
It’s good to know that family and friends have her back, Aspen said.
“They are glad that I can do different things now,” she said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
