Jeremiah Swanigan is a brave 11-year-old with a passion for basketball, a passion that has remained with him through the most difficult times. He played his first AAU Basketball tournament in first grade and from the jump, his dream has been to become a basketball coach.  

In November 2024, his basketball dreams were put at risk. Jeremiah experienced seven back-to-back seizures during which he became unresponsive. Through his strength and resilience, he persevered and eventually regained consciousness.  

With no prior medical history to explain these seizure episodes, Jeremiah and his parents were scared and confused. The family immediately began searching for an answer, and after spending months in and out of hospitals, doctors diagnosed Jeremiah with epilepsy.  

Jeremiah’s mother, LaShawnda Swanigan, describes the experience as traumatic for their entire family. “We’ve always been a healthy and active family. We just have no idea where this came from,” she said. 

Despite the hardships, Jeremiah’s love and dedication for the sport keeps him motivated and following his dreams, even through the seizures. This past Memorial Day Weekend, he participated in the 2025 AAU Memorial Day Classic.

“What he’s been through would shake anyone with seizures, hospital stays, not knowing what’s coming next but somehow, Jeremiah still shows up with a ball in his hands and fire in his eyes. He doesn’t complain, doesn’t make excuses. He just keeps chasing his dream like nothing can stop him,” said LaShawnda. 

His support system is continuously growing. His friends, family, teammates and even opposing teams are working hard to make sure his basketball dreams stay strong while he works through his diagnosis. Opposing teams have supported him from the sidelines during his toughest games and understand the circumstances he is under. His coaches have gone as far as becoming educated on seizure protocol in the case it occurs while he is on the court.  

“It’s been such a challenging journey, filled with anxiety and fear, but more than anything, we’ve been filled with hope,” said LaShawnda. 

We wish Jeremiah and all others participating in this weekend’s AAU Memorial Day Classic the best of luck. May we all find our inner strength and meet the challenges life gives us head-on, just as Jeremiah continues to do.