Milwaukee opera singer returns to teaching after lengthy battle with epilepsy

(MILWAUKEE) Epilepsy is a debilitating neurological disorder that affects more than 60,000 people across Wisconsin. For many of those with the condition, epilepsy can hamper independence and quality of life, but that’s no longer the case for 61 year-old Brookfield resident and local opera singer Kitt Reuter-Foss.

Kitt was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2005 and almost immediately her life was put on hold. Kitt lost her driver’s license and was forced to give up her passion as a professional singer. At their worst, Kitt suffered from 2-3 grand mal seizures every night. Before her seizures started, Kitt performed at the Metropolitan Opera and with some of the most prestigious opera companies around the world.

All that changed in November 2016 when Kitt became the seventh patient in Wisconsin to receive the RNS System. The treatment is the first and only smart device that can monitor brain activity in real-time and stop seizures at their source. Kitt's implant shares information directly with her neurologist, Dr. Christopher Anderson at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin.

On CBS 58 Sunday Morning, Kitt sat down with Christine Flores for a conversation on her return to the recital hall at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music thanks to some innovative new medical technology.

Click here to learn more about the RNS System for treating epilepsy.