A man from Atlanta, US, said he was “taken aback by the timing” after seeing a person having a seizure in an airport the day after receiving epilepsy training.
Jeff Delong, senior director of strategic partnerships at Worldpay, was travelling to Dallas on 21 November at Atlanta airport when he heard commotion.
“I had just gotten to the airport and was going through security. I had just loaded my bags onto the security belt when I heard a loud noise from behind me that caught my attention and the attention of all the people around me.
“It sounded like a person yelling and I saw it was a lady who appeared to be just standing there. After about five seconds, she fell to the ground and started convulsing. I could tell she was having a seizure.”
Crucial awareness
The previous day, Jeff had received epilepsy training from Epilepsy Action at his work alongside 34 others, organised by director of strategic solutions for North America and co-chair of the organisation’s Enable Network, Lucca Bevan.
Lucca said: “Part of my plan for Enable in 2025 was to run webinars and panels to help educate Worldpay colleagues on various topics pertaining to disabilities. For epilepsy awareness month we wanted to run a training, supported by Epilepsy Action.”
Lucca said she had followed Epilepsy Action for a while, having epilepsy herself, and was recommended Epilepsy Action’s training service.
She explained: “I have epilepsy and have a neuroscience degree, so I have vast knowledge about the topic – but from personal experience, I know most people don’t. Given epilepsy is so prevalent, it’s crucial that people have awareness of what epilepsy is and what to do when you see a seizure.
“We’re aiming to make our educational webinars accessible and convenient for colleagues to join, so Epilepsy Action tailored their content for us. I had great feedback – the training provided people with information they weren’t aware of.”
“I feel reassured”
By sheer coincidence, Jeff was presented with the opportunity to put his newfound knowledge to use the very next day.
He recalled: “I wish I could say I immediately ran over to the lady having a seizure, but I froze for a second. I started walking over as did two other guys. The main thing in my head was to support her head.
“I guess my first instinct was to hold it but then I turned around to grab my jacket from the security belt to put under her head.
“The guy who had gotten there first said he was a medical professional and security blocked anyone else from going over there.
“Given I was still in the vicinity though, I was trying to keep a relative gauge of time to ensure it didn’t last longer than five minutes.
“I feel reassured that the lady was okay in the end, which I can say for certain I would not have assumed otherwise, given the length of time the seizure went on and the fact that she laid motionless for a few minutes afterwards. It would have been startling without the understanding that that’s normal.
“Before the training, I was aware of what epilepsy is but had never seen someone having a seizure and would not have known what to do.
“I found the training to be informative and engaging. I honestly am still taken aback by the timing of this experience relative to the training. Certainly, the information was fresh in my mind, but also something I’m not going to ever forget now.”
Need that knowledge
Simon Privett, learning and training lead at Epilepsy Action, who delivered the training at Worldpay, said: “In 2024, Epilepsy Action launched a bold new strategy with a clear ambition: that everyone understands what epilepsy is and how to support people living with it.
“Since I first began delivering training on epilepsy, I always took the viewpoint that if my work made a positive difference to one life, it would have been worthwhile.
“Stories like Jeff’s remind me of the value and importance of the training we offer. When he completed our training, he had no idea he would need that knowledge just a day later.
“People with epilepsy need confidence that those around them know how to keep them safe during a seizure. With 1 in 100 people living with epilepsy, you never know when that knowledge will be needed.”
Epilepsy Action has a range of training options for businesses, charities and other organisations to help them support people with epilepsy in professional environments.
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