David Axelrod, President Obama’s senior strategist, shaved off his trademark mustache on live TV in an effort to raise $1 million for epilepsy research. He did so as a means of fulfilling a promise he made previously.

“We’re cutting it off because there are people who have lost a lot more than a mustache to epilepsy,” Axelrod said.

During Obama’s presidential campaign, Axelrod’s mustache gained a notoriety of its own after he promised to shave it when he appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” if Obama lost his bid for winning the vote in Pennsylvania, Minnesota or Michigan (all states that Obama won). He did so again to try to raise money for the Chicago-based Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy. His wife Susan helped establish the organization in 1998 as a means of promoting research about epilepsy, which their daughter, Lauren, currently suffers from.

“Susan and I are so thankful to the more than 2,600 people who took what was a friendly wager and turned it into a worthy cause,” Axelrod said in a statement. “Because of their kindness and generosity, we were able to raise more than $1 million to fund research to cure epilepsy, a terrible brain disorder that takes the lives of 50,000 of our loved ones each year.”

Some of the higher-profile donors for Axelrod’s cause included the president, Tom Hanks and George Clooney. Donald Trump donated $100,000. Trump told “Morning Joe” that he thought Axelrod looked great.

Epilepsy is often treated with anti-seizure drugs like Topamax. Topamax has been linked to babies being born with birth defects, including PPHN, oral clefts, spina bifida and neural tube defects, when the mothers take the pills while pregnant. This may force doctors to have to look elsewhere for safe epilepsy treatments, since Topamax may increase the child’s risks substantially.

If your baby has suffered from birth defects after being exposed to Topamax in-utero, contact attorney Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting Topamax lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your child’s injury.