DANVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A Danville man is seizure-free after suffering 21 years with the complications of epilepsy.

And thanks to surgery, he may be able to start driving again soon.

Javin Calvert was told there were plenty of things he would never be able to do because of increased, debilitating seizures.

“He was having anywhere from about 20-30 a month,” said Javin’s mom, Jessica Calvert. “He’d have a cluster, which is a group of seizures, anywhere from 6-12, about once a week.”

Just nine months ago, Javin Calvert could never be sure if he would make it into work at the Mayberry Cafe or if seizures would prevent him from leaving home.

“I had, like two hours left on my shift, but I had to get driven home because I had a seizure set off,” said Javin.

“It was just, you know, he was a prisoner in his own home,” Jessica said. “You don’t want to think that as a parent, but you kind of are. You had to be on 24/7.”

“We’ve been wanting to stop them my whole life,” Javin Calvert said. “I got sick and tired of them.”

So Javin went through two weeks of testing and found out they were all being triggered from the left side of his brain, specifically his left temporal lobe, left amygdala and left hippocampus.

“They took it out,” Javin said. “So I’m actually, like, missing a piece of my brain now. So if I ever see my pictures from my MRI that I had in April, I’m literally going to see a chunk of my brain missing! That’s going to be weird because I’ve never seen it that way.”

The epilepsy isn’t 100% cured and he’ll still need to be on one medication, but the surgery opened many doors Javin, including getting his driver’s license in November when he celebrates the one-year anniversary of his surgery.

“I’m kind of nervous,” Javin said. “I’ve driven trucks before, but in parking lots and driveways.”

“The doors are open,” Jessica Calvert said. “He can plan to move out, he can drive, he can get any job he wants, he can possibly go to college now!”

Even with those newly opened doors, Javin said he’s always been looking at the bright side, epilepsy or not.

“There can be positive things,” Javin Calvert said. “You’ve just got to look for it. It can take time, but just take pride in what you’re surviving.”

Javin said he’s been wanting to work at a nursing home for years. Now, thanks to the surgery, he can live out his dream.