True story…

“My wife and I were sightseeing in D.C. many years ago when we noticed a crowd forming. We cut through it and found a mother crouched over her son; he was about 9 years old and convulsing violently. I immediately sent someone to call 911. Then I checked the area around him to make sure there were no branches or other debris that could injure him as he jerked his arms and legs. I lifted his chin to help keep his airway open, but that’s all I did in terms of touching him. The safest thing is to let the seizure run its course—you shouldn’t try to pin someone down. Once he stopped moving, I turned the boy onto his left side. (People often throw up after they have a seizure, and if they’re on their left side, there’s less chance they’ll end up with stomach contents in their lungs.) When the ambulance came, the paramedics took over and transported him to the hospital; we learned that his seizure was the result of a recent viral illness. He recovered. Ten years later, he wrote me a thank-you letter; he was a successful (and healthy) college student.”—James “Butch” Rosser, Jr., M.D., FACS

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