This couple made one simple change to their daughter’s daily diet: she was given 180 grams of ice cream each day, divided into three servings.

What happened next surprised everyone. She began smiling again, and her seizures became far less frequent. At the time, doctors could only recommend trying the approach—they couldn’t predict how well it would work.

Olivia, from Bolingbrook, Illinois, has always been a brave little fighter. She underwent heart surgery at just five months old, but afterward developed epilepsy linked to complications affecting her nervous system.

The next eight months were an incredible challenge for her family. Olivia experienced 30–40 seizures every day, along with additional health complications including weakened lungs and fluid around her lungs.

Her parents, Sandy Browning and William, tried eight different medications in the hope of improving her condition. Thankfully, they helped reduce the number of seizures to around 10 per day.

Olivia’s mother shared: “It’s heartbreaking watching my daughter experience seizures every day. I feel helpless. Every episode looks so difficult for her. I’m also worried because it affects her development.

I rarely saw her smile anymore, and I constantly watched over her whenever she crawled or walked because I was afraid she might accidentally get hurt.”

In February, specialists at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago suggested trying a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. At the time, it was only a recommendation, and no one knew how effective it would be for Olivia.

Her parents then started a ketogenic diet, adding fresh cream to her meals—about 220 grams a day—with a carbohydrate-to-fat ratio of 1:3. Gradually, remarkable changes followed. Olivia smiled again and began reaching developmental milestones like other children.

“Olivia came to us experiencing frequent seizures and struggling to speak. Learning was very difficult for her. After following the recommended diet, those symptoms improved significantly, allowing her to focus on her development,” said Robyn Blackford, a nutritionist and nurse at Lurie Hospital.

To this day, doctors have not been able to fully explain why this dietary approach helped reduce Olivia’s seizures.