Author: By Mindaugas / Source: Bored Panda
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 a common humanity. We need to promote togetherness, kindness and examples of people looking out for each other!
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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…
The post Woman’s Heartwarming Twitter Thread About Helping A Girl With Epilepsy On A Train Is Going Viral appeared first on FeedBox.