First aid during epileptic seizures is easier than most people think – this is what we learn from an entertaining new short film. Produced by the Swiss League against Epilepsy in conjunction with the Swiss Federation of Samaritans, the film is now available online.
Call an ambulance – that’s how most people would react if they saw someone having a major epileptic seizure. Yet it’s definitely not what they should do first. The first thing to do is prevent the person having the seizure from being injured by quickly removing any dangerous objects and putting something soft under their head. It isn’t always necessary to call the paramedics – seizures are often over before they can get there.
In a Swiss German film which lasts just under three minutes and will make its audience smile, an elderly lady learns what to do. The young man experiencing the seizure is played by singer, performer and former gymnast Lucas Fischer, who actually has epilepsy in real life. “Projects like this are really important to me,” he said during filming. “They help to break down barriers and stop epilepsy from being a taboo subject.”
With this film the Swiss League Against Epilepsy and the Swiss Federation of Samaritans are hoping to access and educate as many people in Switzerland as possible. “We want to make people aware of a condition which is mostly invisible – many people have no idea that around one person in a hundred is affected by epilepsy,” says Prof. Dr. Stephan Rüegg, President of the Epilepsy League. “Someone witnessing an epileptic seizure doesn’t need to know much to be able to prevent serious injury.”