18-Year-Old Starts Having A Seizure On The Train, Receives Help From Total Stranger That Later Shares The Whole Story On Twitter
Every day we are bombarded with negative stories; wars, poverty, natural disasters, and people destroying each other on social media. We have never experienced a time when we are so saturated in information, and this constant stream of ‘bad news,’ (which sells, unfortunately) can affect our physical and mental health.
While it can be tempting to despair for humanity, to switch off from each other and find solace in animals, children, and a more innocent world, I find it helpful to search for common humanity. We need to promote togetherness, kindness, and examples of people helping others!
Image credits: Elena Rostunova (not the actual photo)
This heartwarming story, which took place on the subway, is a perfect example. Sure, we are all busy people, with our own worries and concerns. But the ability to break out of our bubbles, the ones we build so diligently around ourselves with our screens and headphones, is crucial if we are going to re-establish the sense of community that we, as social animals, evolved with.
Writer Erynn Brook, whose writing “weaves through conversations about media, people, culture, technology and anything else that pops into my world,” shared her experience while riding the train home, just a few stops from her station. She was approached by an 18-year-old girl who suffered from epilepsy and was about to have a seizure.
I’m waiting on kitty ultrasound results and trying to distract myself a little bit so I’d like to tell you a story about something that happened last night, in the hopes that I can process my feelings around it.
I met a girl on the train last night.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
I was on my way home after work. It’s about 10pm, and the subway is pulling up to my stop. I’ve been stressed about my own stuff for days now and I’m in my little bubble and just as I stand up the girl across from me starts talking.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
She’d been looking at me and I hadn’t really noticed. Her lips were barely moving, but I took out one earbud and said “pardon?” And she said “are you getting off soon?” And I said yes.
The train was mostly empty. But then I noticed she was holding a laminated sheet of paper out.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
At the top it said “my seizure plan”. I blinked at it then looked up at her. “Are you having a seizure now?” I asked.
“No, but I’m about to.” She looked down at the monitor on her finger. “Can you sit with me until your stop?” She asked.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
She mentioned her stop was 3 stops away. I asked if she would like me to ride with her to her stop. She said she didn’t want to bother me. I asked what she would do when I got off, she kinda shrugged and said “ask someone else. Maybe her? She looks nice. Can you ask her for me?”
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
Then she seized. She had already moved her purse out of the way and folded her scarf in a place to catch her head as she slumped over. I sat next to her and read her seizure plan.
She’s 18.
I check my phone and start timing her seizure. I sit down. My stop comes and goes.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
This seizure plan paper is like an anchor. It says what to do, what not to do, how long seizures might last, what medication she takes if they last too long, what steps to take if she becomes non-responsive. She comes out after 3 minutes.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
I tell her I’m just going to ride the subway with her to her stop, and if we miss it, don’t worry, I’ll sit with her until the end of the line if need be and we’ll just make the trip back together. She thanks me. I ask if she has her medication on her. She says she has one left.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
She mentions that she needs to get a prescription refill. I say prescription refills are so annoying. She nods a bit, tells me a little bit about how the monitor on her finger works, and seizes again. I go back to reading the seizure plan. I’ve already read it but it’s an anchor.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
It says she gets these seizures 1-4 times a day, and each episode lasts 10-60mins.
Just think about that for a second. Think about being randomly completely vulnerable multiple times a day, and this is just… every day.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
She comes out close to her stop. I ask her if she wants to get off. And she says “I’m just so tired, I want to go home.”
The worst thing I could’ve done to this girl in this moment was call emergency services. She’s so close to home. We get off at her stop and sit for a bit.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
She places her folded scarf on the back of the chair and positions herself just so. She tells me “if it gets real bad I may have to lie down on the floor.” And seizes again. I put my stuff down and stand so I can catch her if she slips off the chair.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
I’m a big sister and a woman in the world. I’m either sitting with her until she’s completely ready to get up and walk away on her own or we’re gonna move together in shifts until she gets to her front door. There’s no way I’m leaving an 18 year old on a subway platform alone.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
She just needs to make it up the stairs. She says her condo is right outside the exit. Offer to walk her up the stairs, at least. She asks if I’m sure and says again that she doesn’t want to bother me. We go slow and chat. This is her first seizure today, but yesterday she had 2.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
We get to the barrier and I say. “I’d like to walk you to your building door if you’ll let me.” She protests again, but not much. I reassure her that I don’t want to come inside or anything, I’d just like to make sure she gets home safe and I’ll leave once she’s in the building.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
A few times she mentions how tired she is, and how close to home she is. Going up these stairs we keep an eye on her monitor. A train goes by and she covers her ears. Loud noises are a trigger for her. I ask if fluorescent lights are too, she nods. We make it out of the station.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
She tells me that one of her seizures yesterday happened at the gym. THE GYM! I don’t even go to the gym and I have way less barriers to either getting to or being at the gym than she does. This girl is just living her life with a laminated paper as her only defense.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
I walk her to her building door and open it for her. She says “thank you for staying with me and getting me home safe.” I say “of course”, and we wave goodbye. Her scarf is draped around her shoulders now. She waved through the lobby window as she walks, slowly, to the elevator.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
I have so many feelings. And they keep coming back to that scarf. That’s the image I see. How it was pre-folded before she even asked for help. How she positioned herself to fall on the scarf pillow again and again.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
She was fully prepared to go it alone. I didn’t help her, not really. My job was to make sure that no one interrupted her getting to her door. She was just trying to get home.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
It’s not a story about me being a good person. It’s not a story about how brave she is (though she clearly is), it’s a story about human needs, through the lens of disability, and how accessibility is not the same as acceptance or community care.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
We’re taught to call 911 when something looks bad and we don’t know what it is. And if I hadn’t heard her, if she didn’t have that laminated paper, maybe I would’ve done that when she started seizing.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
And this girl who’s just trying to go home because this is her daily life, would’ve been burdened with loud noises and fluorescent lights and maybe an ambulance trip further from her destination and a hospital bill and who knows what else, when she just needed to go home.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
This girl has seizures more reliably than I eat breakfast.
And she’s just out there living her life as best she can.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about all the ways she was vulnerable, in public, alone, at night, all the dangers we associate with those things.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
[cn/tw: assault]
There is no policy or program structure that addresses the high rates of assault for disabled folks. Sexual violence, violent crimes, domestic violence, are all statistically more likely to happen to people with disabilities.https://t.co/xLbCttZsf5
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
I’m already pre-wired to go into big sister/soccer mom mode anywhere, any time, for anyone. If I had a bus I’d just be DD and make sure everyone got home from the bar okay. But… we don’t build our world that way. We build it this way.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
We built a world where an 18 year old who gets seizures 1-4 times a day, is taking the subway home, alone, and she folds her scarf into a pillow before asking a stranger to sit with her until the next stop. Not her own stop. Not to help her home. Just enough to not inconvenience.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
We built a world where I could hit an emergency alarm button and walk off at my stop, feeling like I just saved this girl’s life, who didn’t need saving, without losing a minute of my day, if I wanted to.
We built a world for convenience, not community.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
Don’t get me wrong, emergency services are great and we should use them when we need to. That’s not the point of this thread.
The point is that scarf. That piece of paper, and the way she said “I’ll ask someone else when you leave. Maybe her? She looks nice.”
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
“She looks nice.”
It took maybe 30 minutes out of my day to make sure she got home. And she didn’t need me at all. She got there on her own.
I guess I looked nice too. But she didn’t want to ask too much. She didn’t want to ask me to stay with her an extra 3 stops.
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
Accommodation is the bare minimum. If I sat with her until my stop and then left, that’s what accommodation looks like.
It’s not good enough. Not for me, not for her, not for community and not for our world.
Build something better, folks. Build a better world. 💜
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 4, 2019
The inspiring story is a powerful lesson about perspective and taking the time to help people but in a constructive way. Many of us faced with this situation would either have passed on the problem to somebody else or simply called emergency services. All this girl needed was a little accommodation, a fellow human being by her side.
Thanks to Erynn, we better understand how to act when needed, and we have learned that basic humanity and kindness to each other can make a world of difference. However, Erynn would like for something like this to be simply a normal occurrence and not something worthy of a ‘viral’ story.
“I wish this kind of good stories was a normal thing to hear and see and do,” she told Bored Panda. “In an ideal world, the response would just be confused as to why I’m even sharing it because this is how everyone lives.”
Hopefully, one day we will begin to come together more like a community again and learn how to look out for those who might need a little help from time to time. Erynn has some advice on how to get the ball rolling. “Listen to people, take a basic first aid course if you can, and listen to people with health issues,” she told us. “Follow more good people and diverse voices on social media, and if you can, get involved at a local level and work your way up.”
Bored Panda is publishing this story with permission of Erynn Brook
Damn, take a shower and Twitter runs with it.
Please don’t screenshot this story or transcribe it for articles. If this young woman contacts me and wants this taken down I’d like to be able to do that for her. Feel free to share the blog or link to the thread. 💜
— Erynn Brook (@ErynnBrook) April 5, 2019
As the mother of an 18 year old daughter, and a 14 year old son with autism, I thank you so much, on so many levels.
It's 9:12 am for me and I'm crying into my t-shirt.
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And you would know this from personal experience would you, Fiona? I'm epileptic myself, and have had to rely on the kindness of strangers in the past. Erynn is only trying to get a message out there, because EPILEPTIC PEOPLE ARE VULNERABLE. Do you have any idea how often someone gets robbed during a seizure, or gets ignored, or even gets filmed because some idiot thinks a seizure is funny? No? In that case, hold your tongue.
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I would be terrified to leave an 18 year old woman alone while she was so vulnerable. It was the right decision to stay with her.
My cousin had epilepsy. He lived on his own, and because he was not able to keep a job due to a variety of disabilities, he loved to busk in the city. One time he got off the bus to one of his busking haunts, and proceeded to have a seizure on the side of the road. Instead of understanding, or trying to help, a nearby man decided to grab a chair and continuously hit my cousin with it. Thankfully emergency services were called, but he was pretty badly beaten. He survived, but has since passed away due to another seizure related incident. We definitely need more education about what to do when we see someone having a seizure, people need to know how not to be scared or panicked when witnessing someone in that position.
He hit him with a chair? WTF? Was he some nutjob who thought he needed to exorcize him instead of helping or what?
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As someone with a disability, man is it frustrating how many savior types swoop in to do what they think you need (like the example of hitting the emergency button in this thread). I work with a service dog because I don’t have the best walk - he provides a counterbalance when I wobble and some forward momentum when we’re walking that makes it half as much effort for me. Some people decide I’m blind and grab me to push me towards a chair or drag me across the street. Even if I was blind, those would be startling and unhelpful events unless I asked for help! I’m a sighted person with wobbly balance and very fragile joints. People have dislocated my shoulder and knocked me over doing this s**t. When I lived in a big city and this was common, I hit a point where I screamed when I didn’t see it coming, because I’d been injured so many times by helpful idiots that it was an instinctive response. Ask disabled people if they need help and listen to them, don’t just jump in!
I depend on my service dog as well.. hard to imagine life without one now.. kinda wishing I could gift that girl one!
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You forgot to inculde the last tweet of this thread, which reads: "Please don’t screenshot this story or transcribe it for articles. If this young woman contacts me and wants this taken down I’d like to be able to do that for her. Feel free to share the blog or link to the thread. 💜" https://twitter.com/ErynnBrook/status/1113989782902718464
They've included it. :) (maybe they added it in later? Don't know. But it's there now) :)
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I'm amazed how calm the woman stayed. A friend and my mom both have seizures and they are terrifying.
It's a lot easier to handle a situation when it's not your own family or friends involved. My daughter has seizures and I am a mess, but if it's someone else's child - my first aid kicks in. It's strange
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I think she needs to see her neurologist, since her medication isn't working very well. She might consider getting her scripts with 3 month refills, they're cheaper& maybe getting them mailed. But she's risking a severe injury. Luckily, she gets an aura before a seizure. This is scary- I took care of a girl on a bus in Brooklyn having a seizure, and had to use a hairbrush handle to keep her tongue down so she could breathe. Very scary for both of us. Even though I'm a nurse, it was still scary.
Its not always that simple of a fix.. I too go through times of daily seizures.. mine are due to a traumatic brain injury and none of the meds have made a difference at all, and ive tried dozens.. surgery isn't an option.. instead I have a seizure alert and response dog that helps me stay safer. I know I'm not alone in this either.
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I'm epileptic myself, and have had to put my trust in strangers before. It's scary - especially when you're by yourself and not even sure of where you are. Sometimes I don't even remember my name. Thank you, Erynn - from every epileptic who needs to meet a stranger like you from time to time.
Wow, not remembering your name is nuts! I can't even imagine. Best of luck to you.
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My brother suffers from seizures as well. I often have anxiety when he tells me he is taking public transportation home for this very reason. I applaud this young woman and I am so grateful she was there to help. Calling emergency services only makes it so much more scarier for them. I cried and felt so happy that she was there and never left her alone. The world needs more caring individuals like her. God truly bless her!
Erynn Brook *is* an extraordinarily nice person, and I'm glad the young lady is OK and trying to live her own life. Eighty (ninety?) percent of us are wrapped up in our own lives and probably wouldn't have noticed anything. Leaving that 10-20% of people who always look for an opportunity to help *and* those who see a vulnerable victim. Woman needs a very good self-defense class as much as she need her medication.
self defense is worthless mid seizure or while in the fog after before you come back to really being...I wish I had billions in expendible cash to gift everyone that needs one a service dog.. although my pup wont get aggressive, ever..just having him there with all my needed items in his saddle bags has kept ill wishers at bay when I seize in public.
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Well dang that was poetic, and i definitely learned from it too. An original "story" if that's what you'll call it... Reminds me of a documentary I watched a while back about some poor orphaned kids from Africa. They had physically nothing. When America came to rescue them so they could work jobs in New York and provide money for themselves and there friends who couldn't come, they worked incredibly hard, and but they felt themselves becoming more and more sad, as they missed there community back in Africa. They reunited at the end, but it just goes to show how much we need each other.
One way to build the community approach is to offer to help (simply, not taking over) - another is to ASK for it (in the same manner) -- I know a lot of people are not comfortable with doing either, but it rarely hurts to ask (and if you're turned-down, you're no worse off).
If you have to worry about paying for an ambulance, if its not a self induced emergency (in my country you have to pay if its self induced like alcohol overdose or drugs, not the doctors though) then there is something really off I know not the point of the story, but still.
I think a lot of the time, people are weary to help anyone these days because of the people that scam others. It is really sad that the ones that do scam, ruin it for those that truly need help.
Awesome story. I have irretractable seizures and understand her completely. It's good she carries the information with her because most people don't know enough about seizures. Did you know there are over 40 types of seizures? It's the 3rd most common neurological disorder in the U.S.A. (after Alzheimer's and Stroke)? 1 in 3 people with epilepsy (30%) will not gain full seizure control with medication? Epilepsy is so common that affects 1 in 26 people worldwide? More people die from epilepsy than breast cancer (about 50,000 people per year) and yet there is very little research and funding done to help? Last of all, help learn and spread the awareness because you never know, someday you might find yourself being asked to help a stranger.
This just made me cry a little. I have seizures almost 4 times a month, and I have a plan just like this girl. Thank you for staying with her, and helping her get home.
This is also a good example of how to counteract bystander syndrome. If you directly engage someone there's no opportunity to go "oh I'm sure someone else will offer to help her". My mom was in line at a bagel shop once and the woman in front of her started seizing, and did have a caretaker with her, but my mom said everyone else in the vicinity backed way the hell up. She was the only person who offered to help, and that's appalling to me.
Not everyone is trained to know what to do in an emergency. Not every place protects good Samaritans - people have been sued for helping. Would you rather see the crowd converge on her, blocking a trained person from providing help?
Load More Replies... OK Erynn, you want a better world, what is your plan? And what's wrong with the plan she has? Why do you get to judge? You see victim hood, vulnerability and a cold, stark world. You're feeling sorry for her.while she's proud of her accomplishments.Who is able to live a relatively normal life despite her disability. The world didn't give her the seizure disorder, it was just the luck of the draw. But the world did give her the medication to help control it, the access to that medication, a good public transportation option so she's able to get around on her own, the education to know what to do when her disability impedes on her life. The world gave her the ability to support herself so she has a place to live. She was fortunate to be born in this country, or to be living in it now, where all these things are available. The world also gave her you and people like you (and me) and most people who will help anyone if they ask. She's doing great. Celebrate that.
Erin was assuming most people are a******s. While that's true most of the time, when someone legit needs help almost everyone is down to help out. Nobody is going to get off at their stop, mid seizure unless they had an unbelievably important commitment to make (like catching an airplane or a job interview or something). I think this sort of kindness is more common that people think (and that's coming from a cynic who generally dislikes and tries to avoid people.
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In college due to my own insecurities I first befriend someone with dyslexia, and then met the community of at school. Some were blind, others had learning or physical disabilities. Steven was in a wheelchair and had too many seizures each day to count, he was in my psych 101 class so I’d push him there and back. He couldn’t talk, but always had a big grin on his face. I’d keep an eye on him in class, but honestly it’s like he was just OK with everything. He’d seize for for 30 seconds, slump a bit then resume that grin that let me know he was ok. We never exchanged words, just looks. I learned so much from just being around him, and a few others in that community. I was always self conscious and kind of in the dumps, but these were the happiest and most inspiring friends I’ve ever met, simply because they chose to be like that.
She does get a bit preachy and condescending towards the end but ultimately, she did a great thing and that's what counts. My cousin has severe epilepsy, he has 5-10 a week , he can't drive or anything etc, it really has a detrimental effect on his life.
This x1000. Not just illnesses. Lots of people carry a heavy burden you can't see.
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I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not. With her seizures, I'm guessing that either she put a lot of thought into where to live, or her parents did, and she's still living at home. She's fortunate that home is so close to her subway stop: imagine having to navigate city streets in addition to the trains.
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I am disabled. If I overdo it, I collapse. I just need to rest and then I am more or less ok. I have often been stranded on sidewalks, at events, and even if my own home.. dependent on other people to at least not make my situation worse. The kindness of strangers and having someone willing to listen to what is needed and what is not cannot be overstated. She is right. Community is often lost in our modern age and we are not better for it. But there are some who remember. <3
No s**t, eh? I'm feeling pretty damn good about my physical issues because I wouldn't trade mine for hers for all the tea in China.
Load More Replies... I've just read this story again and, in case the woman who wrote it might read it, I wanna thank you for being a helping and responsible person! I didn't have too many chances to act like that ... most helpless people I find are just drunk ... but, no matter what causes someone to be or appear helpless - never just walk by! If they respond, make sure they don't send you away because they don't wanna bother other people (like the girl here ... she said so a few times, and some might even insist on being left alone). Don't force yourself onto others, but if something looks like it might be dangerous, keep an eye on them, call an ambulance - just do not do nothing! This is basic integrity (the degree of offered and executed help in this story not, that exceeds basic integrity), everybody should do that ... we should be able to rely on each other, at least in terms of potentially fatale events not being let slip through unnoticed, or uncared about.
I was in Melbourne Australia. An old guy slipped on the tram tracks and fell down *splat* . A circle of people immediately surrounded him holding out hands to help him up, Another circle surrounded that stopping the traffic and trams. And another circle around that- with phones out ready to call ambulance if needed. ( NOT taking photos ). He was fine. Then everyone just went on their ways
I don't think many of us could have understood each others languages. ( going on skin colour, facial features, body language and clothing ). But we all knew what we meant; just to help out another human in a difficult time.
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Wow Fiona what a negative attitude you have that what you took from this is a negative 'she did it for herself'. WOW just wow.
thank you for sharing this, and what a brilliant plan to hand or have for someone who may want to help someone having a seizure. years ago I was traveling on an escalated in Waterloo tube and the escalated are quite steep and long. if you lost your balance you are seriously going to hurt yourself. there was a lady in front of me wobbling a bit, she was either Indian decent or Africa, not that it matters . I saw her wobbling backwards and about to go forwards, I quickly looped my arms under her armpits and held her quietly unroll she came too. she came out of a fit after talking to her she had petite maul epilepsy and thanked me for not letting her fall. I'm glad I did it and would so it again and I think the way you have told this is very insightful with lots of things that might happen so people who don't have fits will know what to do if it ever happens to them. thank you x
God bless you for being a good human. We need more people like you in this world. Imagine if every person did one kind, selfless thing for a stranger every day. What a wonderful world this would be.
I can relate to that girl being fully prepared to handle the seizures on her own. I do not have seizures but whatever happens in my life, WHATEVER it is, whatever I go through: I always handle it myself and I never ask for help. Lot's of people have told me that I am too independent for my own good, and that's probably true but I can't stop relying only on myself. And the weird thing is that I daydream about having someone who takes care of me so I don't have to.
Everybody should be used to (handicapped) people, so you don't need to be afraid. People are afraid of the unknown, if they are wearing headscarf or wheelchair. I have a 3yo handicapped daughter and she looks cute and people telling me they thought, they would be apalled but are not. I'm not angry, I just realized people are afraid. Don't be. We're all human, even if some of us can't walk or talk or eat propperly or are shaking and drooling and howling. More human, than some people hiding in their clean suit. (I like clean suits, just stereotyping).
I just want to tell the girl that the laminated seizure plan idea is awesome. If you don't know what's happening, seizures look very scary, but you'd never have enough time to explain it. Super awesome idea! Also, I would like to tell her that she can ask people to stay and help. 'Excuse me, I apologise for the inconvenience, and you can totally say no, but could you help me, make sure I'm not alone? You'd be my hero of the day!' Or a variation. Really.
My son is 14 & epileptic. This story warms my heart as I know at some point in his life, he too, will have to “go it alone” & that terrifies me. Im thankful for good people in this world!
So close to my heart. I'm a single mom and I suffer from epilepsy. This story warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes. So much love 💜💜💜
Reading this makes me hurt inside. I'm epileptic myself and I know the pain of having to go through seizures. I may not have them as often as that lady, but mine come without warning. I wish I had a monitor like hers to warn me if one would be coming soon. She was lucky to have such a nice girl come to your aid at such a time.
I can't imagine the anxiety of knowing it was about to happen. The chance to prepare would be awesome but I imagine it like being sick and knowing you are going to throw up sometime soon but you don't know exactly when.
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it happens..depends on what causes them to begin with..in many of mine I come out of it in under a minute after. Not every seizure is due to epilepsy ;) and not every seizure is the same
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This story brought tears to my eyes. Amazing that someone would post something like that as a series of tweets.
Brought tears to my eyes. This is an example of compassion. Pure compassion one has the honor to give another human being.
I'm 39, father of 1, & about to cry read this. Humanity does still exist.
This reminds me of that time I took care of this random drunk girl in Miami for about an hr and helped her get home because her friends left her, she lost her phone and wallet, was just all messed up. I ended up calling her an uber.
You just reminded me of the time I had drunk teen at the airport!!! Once I got her to stop crying I was able to call her dad and wait for his ride.
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this is beautiful. i wish there were more people like this in our world. our world is what we make out of it
There ARE more people like this in this world, especially in the United States. I've been to many European countries and some Asian countries and I'll admit, people most likely ignored someone who obviously needed help. But in the United States, 99% of the people will help you in some way - and expect nothing in return AND won't feel the need to tell everyone on the internet to get those sweet sweet internet points.
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I wept when I read this, I wept for that young woman who travels alone every day and the terrible situations that could befall her with the type of humans that are out there, I wept for the goodness of the travelling passenger Erryn for being there for her and forsaking her own comfort to get home and ensure this young girl also got home safely. I wept for the lack of humanity in others and wonder how many will remember this and try and do something for human kind when the time comes if it faces them. I wept too for the brave attitude of this young woman who goes to work and wants to live her life as normal as she can; you have my admiration. I also wept for all those who may see this as opportunistic and take advantage and just hope to god they do not!
Yet most humans aren't going to hurt her. They will help her. You have a warped worldview if you see everyone as a victim or potential victim of "humans" when most people are good.
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If anyone knows how to get in touch with this girl please tell her to look into ketogenic diet. It's mostly used for children with drug resistant epilepsy but it can work for all types. It can also cure epilepsy. It works in varying degrees for different people but it's well worth a try. Changed our lives.
I know you probably mean well, but let's just assume her health care professionals are doing their job, you know, professionally. Unsolicited medical advise is never helpful to those living with chronic illness.
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But what does she do tomorrow and the next day? She needs to get medical help and maybe surgery to stop seizures or better meds or just help in getting that refill. Maybe a go fund me to help finance it.
It's not always that easy.. I to have daily seizures.. due to a traumatic brain injury.. meds don't help.. and surgery isn't an option.. I've got a seizure alert and response service dog that helps me stay safer.. but there's literally no way to reduce or eliminate my seizures.. I've just got to live with them.
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She's highlighting a need in the general public. Nothing more, and nothing less. If I'm ever out alone and suffer a seizure (I'm epileptic) I hope to meet someone like Erynn when I need them.
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Thank you, doctor. I'm sure you have many years of education into the neuro-biology of seizure disorders and their treatments.
Load More Replies... As the mother of an 18 year old daughter, and a 14 year old son with autism, I thank you so much, on so many levels.
It's 9:12 am for me and I'm crying into my t-shirt.
Load More Replies... And you would know this from personal experience would you, Fiona? I'm epileptic myself, and have had to rely on the kindness of strangers in the past. Erynn is only trying to get a message out there, because EPILEPTIC PEOPLE ARE VULNERABLE. Do you have any idea how often someone gets robbed during a seizure, or gets ignored, or even gets filmed because some idiot thinks a seizure is funny? No? In that case, hold your tongue.
Load More Replies... I would be terrified to leave an 18 year old woman alone while she was so vulnerable. It was the right decision to stay with her.
My cousin had epilepsy. He lived on his own, and because he was not able to keep a job due to a variety of disabilities, he loved to busk in the city. One time he got off the bus to one of his busking haunts, and proceeded to have a seizure on the side of the road. Instead of understanding, or trying to help, a nearby man decided to grab a chair and continuously hit my cousin with it. Thankfully emergency services were called, but he was pretty badly beaten. He survived, but has since passed away due to another seizure related incident. We definitely need more education about what to do when we see someone having a seizure, people need to know how not to be scared or panicked when witnessing someone in that position.
He hit him with a chair? WTF? Was he some nutjob who thought he needed to exorcize him instead of helping or what?
Load More Replies... As someone with a disability, man is it frustrating how many savior types swoop in to do what they think you need (like the example of hitting the emergency button in this thread). I work with a service dog because I don’t have the best walk - he provides a counterbalance when I wobble and some forward momentum when we’re walking that makes it half as much effort for me. Some people decide I’m blind and grab me to push me towards a chair or drag me across the street. Even if I was blind, those would be startling and unhelpful events unless I asked for help! I’m a sighted person with wobbly balance and very fragile joints. People have dislocated my shoulder and knocked me over doing this s**t. When I lived in a big city and this was common, I hit a point where I screamed when I didn’t see it coming, because I’d been injured so many times by helpful idiots that it was an instinctive response. Ask disabled people if they need help and listen to them, don’t just jump in!
I depend on my service dog as well.. hard to imagine life without one now.. kinda wishing I could gift that girl one!
Load More Replies... You forgot to inculde the last tweet of this thread, which reads: "Please don’t screenshot this story or transcribe it for articles. If this young woman contacts me and wants this taken down I’d like to be able to do that for her. Feel free to share the blog or link to the thread. 💜" https://twitter.com/ErynnBrook/status/1113989782902718464
They've included it. :) (maybe they added it in later? Don't know. But it's there now) :)
Load More Replies... I'm amazed how calm the woman stayed. A friend and my mom both have seizures and they are terrifying.
It's a lot easier to handle a situation when it's not your own family or friends involved. My daughter has seizures and I am a mess, but if it's someone else's child - my first aid kicks in. It's strange
Load More Replies... I think she needs to see her neurologist, since her medication isn't working very well. She might consider getting her scripts with 3 month refills, they're cheaper& maybe getting them mailed. But she's risking a severe injury. Luckily, she gets an aura before a seizure. This is scary- I took care of a girl on a bus in Brooklyn having a seizure, and had to use a hairbrush handle to keep her tongue down so she could breathe. Very scary for both of us. Even though I'm a nurse, it was still scary.
Its not always that simple of a fix.. I too go through times of daily seizures.. mine are due to a traumatic brain injury and none of the meds have made a difference at all, and ive tried dozens.. surgery isn't an option.. instead I have a seizure alert and response dog that helps me stay safer. I know I'm not alone in this either.
Load More Replies... I'm epileptic myself, and have had to put my trust in strangers before. It's scary - especially when you're by yourself and not even sure of where you are. Sometimes I don't even remember my name. Thank you, Erynn - from every epileptic who needs to meet a stranger like you from time to time.
Wow, not remembering your name is nuts! I can't even imagine. Best of luck to you.
Load More Replies... My brother suffers from seizures as well. I often have anxiety when he tells me he is taking public transportation home for this very reason. I applaud this young woman and I am so grateful she was there to help. Calling emergency services only makes it so much more scarier for them. I cried and felt so happy that she was there and never left her alone. The world needs more caring individuals like her. God truly bless her!
Erynn Brook *is* an extraordinarily nice person, and I'm glad the young lady is OK and trying to live her own life. Eighty (ninety?) percent of us are wrapped up in our own lives and probably wouldn't have noticed anything. Leaving that 10-20% of people who always look for an opportunity to help *and* those who see a vulnerable victim. Woman needs a very good self-defense class as much as she need her medication.
self defense is worthless mid seizure or while in the fog after before you come back to really being...I wish I had billions in expendible cash to gift everyone that needs one a service dog.. although my pup wont get aggressive, ever..just having him there with all my needed items in his saddle bags has kept ill wishers at bay when I seize in public.
Load More Replies... Well dang that was poetic, and i definitely learned from it too. An original "story" if that's what you'll call it... Reminds me of a documentary I watched a while back about some poor orphaned kids from Africa. They had physically nothing. When America came to rescue them so they could work jobs in New York and provide money for themselves and there friends who couldn't come, they worked incredibly hard, and but they felt themselves becoming more and more sad, as they missed there community back in Africa. They reunited at the end, but it just goes to show how much we need each other.
One way to build the community approach is to offer to help (simply, not taking over) - another is to ASK for it (in the same manner) -- I know a lot of people are not comfortable with doing either, but it rarely hurts to ask (and if you're turned-down, you're no worse off).
If you have to worry about paying for an ambulance, if its not a self induced emergency (in my country you have to pay if its self induced like alcohol overdose or drugs, not the doctors though) then there is something really off I know not the point of the story, but still.
I think a lot of the time, people are weary to help anyone these days because of the people that scam others. It is really sad that the ones that do scam, ruin it for those that truly need help.
Awesome story. I have irretractable seizures and understand her completely. It's good she carries the information with her because most people don't know enough about seizures. Did you know there are over 40 types of seizures? It's the 3rd most common neurological disorder in the U.S.A. (after Alzheimer's and Stroke)? 1 in 3 people with epilepsy (30%) will not gain full seizure control with medication? Epilepsy is so common that affects 1 in 26 people worldwide? More people die from epilepsy than breast cancer (about 50,000 people per year) and yet there is very little research and funding done to help? Last of all, help learn and spread the awareness because you never know, someday you might find yourself being asked to help a stranger.
This just made me cry a little. I have seizures almost 4 times a month, and I have a plan just like this girl. Thank you for staying with her, and helping her get home.
This is also a good example of how to counteract bystander syndrome. If you directly engage someone there's no opportunity to go "oh I'm sure someone else will offer to help her". My mom was in line at a bagel shop once and the woman in front of her started seizing, and did have a caretaker with her, but my mom said everyone else in the vicinity backed way the hell up. She was the only person who offered to help, and that's appalling to me.
Not everyone is trained to know what to do in an emergency. Not every place protects good Samaritans - people have been sued for helping. Would you rather see the crowd converge on her, blocking a trained person from providing help?
Load More Replies... OK Erynn, you want a better world, what is your plan? And what's wrong with the plan she has? Why do you get to judge? You see victim hood, vulnerability and a cold, stark world. You're feeling sorry for her.while she's proud of her accomplishments.Who is able to live a relatively normal life despite her disability. The world didn't give her the seizure disorder, it was just the luck of the draw. But the world did give her the medication to help control it, the access to that medication, a good public transportation option so she's able to get around on her own, the education to know what to do when her disability impedes on her life. The world gave her the ability to support herself so she has a place to live. She was fortunate to be born in this country, or to be living in it now, where all these things are available. The world also gave her you and people like you (and me) and most people who will help anyone if they ask. She's doing great. Celebrate that.
Erin was assuming most people are a******s. While that's true most of the time, when someone legit needs help almost everyone is down to help out. Nobody is going to get off at their stop, mid seizure unless they had an unbelievably important commitment to make (like catching an airplane or a job interview or something). I think this sort of kindness is more common that people think (and that's coming from a cynic who generally dislikes and tries to avoid people.
Load More Replies... In college due to my own insecurities I first befriend someone with dyslexia, and then met the community of at school. Some were blind, others had learning or physical disabilities. Steven was in a wheelchair and had too many seizures each day to count, he was in my psych 101 class so I’d push him there and back. He couldn’t talk, but always had a big grin on his face. I’d keep an eye on him in class, but honestly it’s like he was just OK with everything. He’d seize for for 30 seconds, slump a bit then resume that grin that let me know he was ok. We never exchanged words, just looks. I learned so much from just being around him, and a few others in that community. I was always self conscious and kind of in the dumps, but these were the happiest and most inspiring friends I’ve ever met, simply because they chose to be like that.
She does get a bit preachy and condescending towards the end but ultimately, she did a great thing and that's what counts. My cousin has severe epilepsy, he has 5-10 a week , he can't drive or anything etc, it really has a detrimental effect on his life.
This x1000. Not just illnesses. Lots of people carry a heavy burden you can't see.
Load More Replies... I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not. With her seizures, I'm guessing that either she put a lot of thought into where to live, or her parents did, and she's still living at home. She's fortunate that home is so close to her subway stop: imagine having to navigate city streets in addition to the trains.
Load More Replies... I am disabled. If I overdo it, I collapse. I just need to rest and then I am more or less ok. I have often been stranded on sidewalks, at events, and even if my own home.. dependent on other people to at least not make my situation worse. The kindness of strangers and having someone willing to listen to what is needed and what is not cannot be overstated. She is right. Community is often lost in our modern age and we are not better for it. But there are some who remember. <3
No s**t, eh? I'm feeling pretty damn good about my physical issues because I wouldn't trade mine for hers for all the tea in China.
Load More Replies... I've just read this story again and, in case the woman who wrote it might read it, I wanna thank you for being a helping and responsible person! I didn't have too many chances to act like that ... most helpless people I find are just drunk ... but, no matter what causes someone to be or appear helpless - never just walk by! If they respond, make sure they don't send you away because they don't wanna bother other people (like the girl here ... she said so a few times, and some might even insist on being left alone). Don't force yourself onto others, but if something looks like it might be dangerous, keep an eye on them, call an ambulance - just do not do nothing! This is basic integrity (the degree of offered and executed help in this story not, that exceeds basic integrity), everybody should do that ... we should be able to rely on each other, at least in terms of potentially fatale events not being let slip through unnoticed, or uncared about.
I was in Melbourne Australia. An old guy slipped on the tram tracks and fell down *splat* . A circle of people immediately surrounded him holding out hands to help him up, Another circle surrounded that stopping the traffic and trams. And another circle around that- with phones out ready to call ambulance if needed. ( NOT taking photos ). He was fine. Then everyone just went on their ways
I don't think many of us could have understood each others languages. ( going on skin colour, facial features, body language and clothing ). But we all knew what we meant; just to help out another human in a difficult time.
Load More Replies... Wow Fiona what a negative attitude you have that what you took from this is a negative 'she did it for herself'. WOW just wow.
thank you for sharing this, and what a brilliant plan to hand or have for someone who may want to help someone having a seizure. years ago I was traveling on an escalated in Waterloo tube and the escalated are quite steep and long. if you lost your balance you are seriously going to hurt yourself. there was a lady in front of me wobbling a bit, she was either Indian decent or Africa, not that it matters . I saw her wobbling backwards and about to go forwards, I quickly looped my arms under her armpits and held her quietly unroll she came too. she came out of a fit after talking to her she had petite maul epilepsy and thanked me for not letting her fall. I'm glad I did it and would so it again and I think the way you have told this is very insightful with lots of things that might happen so people who don't have fits will know what to do if it ever happens to them. thank you x
God bless you for being a good human. We need more people like you in this world. Imagine if every person did one kind, selfless thing for a stranger every day. What a wonderful world this would be.
I can relate to that girl being fully prepared to handle the seizures on her own. I do not have seizures but whatever happens in my life, WHATEVER it is, whatever I go through: I always handle it myself and I never ask for help. Lot's of people have told me that I am too independent for my own good, and that's probably true but I can't stop relying only on myself. And the weird thing is that I daydream about having someone who takes care of me so I don't have to.
Everybody should be used to (handicapped) people, so you don't need to be afraid. People are afraid of the unknown, if they are wearing headscarf or wheelchair. I have a 3yo handicapped daughter and she looks cute and people telling me they thought, they would be apalled but are not. I'm not angry, I just realized people are afraid. Don't be. We're all human, even if some of us can't walk or talk or eat propperly or are shaking and drooling and howling. More human, than some people hiding in their clean suit. (I like clean suits, just stereotyping).
I just want to tell the girl that the laminated seizure plan idea is awesome. If you don't know what's happening, seizures look very scary, but you'd never have enough time to explain it. Super awesome idea! Also, I would like to tell her that she can ask people to stay and help. 'Excuse me, I apologise for the inconvenience, and you can totally say no, but could you help me, make sure I'm not alone? You'd be my hero of the day!' Or a variation. Really.
My son is 14 & epileptic. This story warms my heart as I know at some point in his life, he too, will have to “go it alone” & that terrifies me. Im thankful for good people in this world!
So close to my heart. I'm a single mom and I suffer from epilepsy. This story warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes. So much love 💜💜💜
Reading this makes me hurt inside. I'm epileptic myself and I know the pain of having to go through seizures. I may not have them as often as that lady, but mine come without warning. I wish I had a monitor like hers to warn me if one would be coming soon. She was lucky to have such a nice girl come to your aid at such a time.
I can't imagine the anxiety of knowing it was about to happen. The chance to prepare would be awesome but I imagine it like being sick and knowing you are going to throw up sometime soon but you don't know exactly when.
Load More Replies... it happens..depends on what causes them to begin with..in many of mine I come out of it in under a minute after. Not every seizure is due to epilepsy ;) and not every seizure is the same
Load More Replies... This story brought tears to my eyes. Amazing that someone would post something like that as a series of tweets.
Brought tears to my eyes. This is an example of compassion. Pure compassion one has the honor to give another human being.
I'm 39, father of 1, & about to cry read this. Humanity does still exist.
This reminds me of that time I took care of this random drunk girl in Miami for about an hr and helped her get home because her friends left her, she lost her phone and wallet, was just all messed up. I ended up calling her an uber.
You just reminded me of the time I had drunk teen at the airport!!! Once I got her to stop crying I was able to call her dad and wait for his ride.
Load More Replies... this is beautiful. i wish there were more people like this in our world. our world is what we make out of it
There ARE more people like this in this world, especially in the United States. I've been to many European countries and some Asian countries and I'll admit, people most likely ignored someone who obviously needed help. But in the United States, 99% of the people will help you in some way - and expect nothing in return AND won't feel the need to tell everyone on the internet to get those sweet sweet internet points.
Load More Replies... I wept when I read this, I wept for that young woman who travels alone every day and the terrible situations that could befall her with the type of humans that are out there, I wept for the goodness of the travelling passenger Erryn for being there for her and forsaking her own comfort to get home and ensure this young girl also got home safely. I wept for the lack of humanity in others and wonder how many will remember this and try and do something for human kind when the time comes if it faces them. I wept too for the brave attitude of this young woman who goes to work and wants to live her life as normal as she can; you have my admiration. I also wept for all those who may see this as opportunistic and take advantage and just hope to god they do not!
Yet most humans aren't going to hurt her. They will help her. You have a warped worldview if you see everyone as a victim or potential victim of "humans" when most people are good.
Load More Replies... If anyone knows how to get in touch with this girl please tell her to look into ketogenic diet. It's mostly used for children with drug resistant epilepsy but it can work for all types. It can also cure epilepsy. It works in varying degrees for different people but it's well worth a try. Changed our lives.
I know you probably mean well, but let's just assume her health care professionals are doing their job, you know, professionally. Unsolicited medical advise is never helpful to those living with chronic illness.
Load More Replies... But what does she do tomorrow and the next day? She needs to get medical help and maybe surgery to stop seizures or better meds or just help in getting that refill. Maybe a go fund me to help finance it.
It's not always that easy.. I to have daily seizures.. due to a traumatic brain injury.. meds don't help.. and surgery isn't an option.. I've got a seizure alert and response service dog that helps me stay safer.. but there's literally no way to reduce or eliminate my seizures.. I've just got to live with them.
Load More Replies... She's highlighting a need in the general public. Nothing more, and nothing less. If I'm ever out alone and suffer a seizure (I'm epileptic) I hope to meet someone like Erynn when I need them.
Load More Replies... Thank you, doctor. I'm sure you have many years of education into the neuro-biology of seizure disorders and their treatments.
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