The Amazing Jim Abrahams

My life has been unduly influenced by Jim Abrahams.  So I figured on this Thanksgiving week, I’d give a shout-out to the man whom I’ve never met, but who’s made my life better in the most unusual ways.

In case you don’t recognize the name, Jim Abrahams is 33% of the trio Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker (or, ZAZ), the brilliant comedy team that made some of the most ridiculously hilarious movies of all time.

I’d estimate that about 80% of the words that came out of my mouth between the ages of 12 and 18 were made up of quotes from the Airplane!, Police Squad, and Naked Gun series.   For my friends and I, it was impossible to get through a week without admonishing one another, “Please don’t call me Shirley,” or asking, “Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?”

Sophomoric? Yes.  But we were at that sophomore stage in our lives.  It was our shared language, our way to bond.  Teenage boys (well, let’s face it: men of all ages) don’t generally have a whole lot to say to each other.  Movie quotes invoke a world of shared experience and fill in the gap between what we want to say, and what we’re able to.

 And those movies still make me laugh today.  But it’s what Jim Abrahams has done off-screen that has really impacted me personally.  A few years ago, Abrahams appeared on an episode of my favorite podcast alongside brain researcher Susan Masino. 

In the interview, Abrahams tells the story — powerfully, tearfully — about how his son Charlie was diagnosed with epilepsy as an infant, and how the ketogenic diet cured him when all else failed.  Charlie went from having up to 12 seizures a day, to none at all.  Now in his twenties, Charlie is a teacher and is living a full, healthy life.

The infuriating thing about his story, though, is the resistance that Jim and Nancy Abrahams encountered from doctors and neurologists, who either didn’t know about or didn’t recommend the diet.  He was even told that the diet would raise his son’s cholesterol (because, you know, all those babies having heart attacks).  They had to work hard and devote a lot of resources to finding a keto-friendly neurologist (including several flights across the country), and they had to fight hard to get their son the help he needed.

The interview stuck with me, and after my own seizures came back, I decided to take Jim Abrahams at his advice and advocate for myself.  With the help of my supportive family, I managed to find and get admitted to a ketogenic epilepsy center.  It’s been an eye-opening and incredibly empowering experience.  

So this year, even though in principle I'm against Black Friday and all of its mutant spawn, I’ll be using Giving Tuesday as an opportunity to donate to The Charlie Foundation, the charity that the Abrahamses founded to help spread the word.  Each donation is personally matched by Jim and Nancy Abrahams and supports the great work that they do to bring keto resources to those who can benefit.  If you’d like to do the same, the donation link is here. 

So again, thank you Jim Abrahams.  Here’s hoping we can meet and share a laugh someday.

Note: The ramblings published on this blog are the opinions of the author alone and shared for entertainment purposes only.  The author is an English major with no medical or scientific background; thus, his words should never be taken as medical advice.  Consult with your doctor or medical professional before undertaking any diet or exercise program.