Gorgeous one

In my last year of teaching I was gifted an opportunity to connect with my energetic gifts in an extreme way – one which had such an impact on me and many others there to witness it that I guarantee we all remember it to this day.

As the teacher of a Year 5 class, my teaching partner and I, along with many other teachers at my school, took our students to swimming lessons as part of their physical education program.

We were lucky enough to have an indoor pool within walking distance of our school, so at our allocated time, on a gorgeous Friday morning, we packed up all the kids and headed over for their lessons.

Given the students only had a thirty minute window of time in the water we gave ourselves plenty of time to walk over, for the students to get changed, and to be ready when their lesson started.

My teaching partner and I sat a few metres back from the edge of the pool, approximately in the middle of its length. We enjoyed sitting here as it gave us a good view of all the students and their lesson. It was also the most logical place to sit as there were two chairs waiting there for us!

My teaching partner and I did what we always did in these moments. We took advantage of the time together, without any specific teaching commitments, to talk about our classroom, the current theme we were teaching, and ways we could improve our students’ learning experience. It was a rich time for us both and one we valued greatly.

On this particular Friday though something was different.

My teaching partner and I were chatting away as we always did, but something made me look up and away from our conversation, to scan the pool and, specifically, to the students and swimming instructor directly in front of us.

As I scanned the space my eyes landed on the instructor standing in the centre of the pool, up to her waist in water, taking the lesson. I knew something wasn’t quite right – the change of energy in the pool enclosure had told me that – but I wasn’t exactly sure in that moment what it was. But I wasn’t taking any chances, so I turned to my teaching partner, said to her “Something’s not quite right with that swimming instructor” and took my shoes off.

In the few seconds it took me to do this it became pretty obvious that I was right. 

The swimming instructor was having an epileptic seizure. 

Yes she was still standing, but with her body starting to convulse I could see she was about to fall into the water – and I knew I had to get there quickly. 

In an instant I was up out of my chair, plunged myself into the water, and reached the instructor just as she fell face first into the water. I quickly turned her over, hoping to goodness that she was alright. After evaluating the situation I knew the best course of action was to hold her as gently as I could in the water until the seizure stopped.

By this stage my teaching partner and the other pool staff had taken over. The students were removed from the pool and cared for (in what way I’m not sure – my focus was on the lady in my arms) and eventually another lady from the swimming pool – perhaps the instructor from one of the other classes, or the manager – swam over to me and asked what was going on. I said “This lady’s having an epileptic fit”. She looked at me with surprise and fear all over her face and said “How do you know?”. 

I knew because I grew up with epilepsy in my family and had become pretty good at knowing energetically when my sister, who I shared a bedroom with, was about to have a seizure.

So I turned to this lady who had come to help, still holding the other lady in my arms, and said “I’ve seen it plenty of times before”.

Given I had experience with epilepsy, my helper asked me what we should do. I suggested that we stay in the water until the seizure had finished. Once it had, we gently raised the lady up onto the edge of the pool, onto a towel and into the recovery position. With her head in my lap we covered her with spare towels so that she wouldn’t get cold. 

As we sat there together, by the side of the pool, I gently stroked the swimming instructors forehead, wiping her wet hair away from her eyes and face, reassuring her gently that everything was OK – that we were here for her and that everything would be fine.

The lady who was with me – the one who had come to help – asked me what we should do. I suggested that it might be best to call an ambulance. I got the feeling she thought this was unnecessary but I assured her that I had seen a lot of seizures before and that, given I didn’t know this lady and how her seizures presented, that it was probably best to call an ambulance, just to make sure she was alright.

I stayed as long as I was able, stroking that lady’s hair and reassuring her, knowing I had done all I could. But I felt I had to get moving. I had no idea how much time had passed and I knew I had commitments back in my classroom with my students.

The reality was that there really wasn’t any need for me to rush. By the time I got back to school word had spread about what had happened, and other teachers had come to my classroom to support the students while I was away.

On my way back to class I reflected on what had just happened. Yes I was a little in shock – I mean, when I woke up that morning I didn’t expect to jump into a pool and hold a lady having a seizure! – but looking more deeply than that, I received the answer I knew to be there all along.

I was in the right place at the right time.

No one who worked with this lady knew she was epileptic.

None of my teaching colleagues whose classes were before or after ours had any knowledge of epilepsy or what to do if a seizure occurred.

No one else in that pool area felt the change in energy like I did.

If this wasn’t confirmation that I could sense energy I didn’t know what was!

But now of course I had to work out what it all meant …

Like most things in my life I didn’t have time to reflect any deeper than that, in that moment. I had teaching commitments to get to – and wet clothes to wear while doing it! Thankfully I remembered I had a bag of donation clothes in the boot of my car, so when I had the chance I went and changed into something that was at least a little suitable for the classroom!

{The way I look at those clothes is this. The Universe knew I would need a change of clothes on this particular day – and my procrastination in dropping them off to the charity bin was an important part of how this whole scenario played out!}

I do recall having a glass or two of wine once I got home that afternoon, mostly to calm my nerves but also to raise a glass in thanks to the Universe, for placing me in the right place at the right time, to use my practical abilities and spide-y senses to the best of their abilities.

On the Monday, when I was back at school, the swimming instructor and her Mum came to my classroom with the most beautiful bunch of flowers, to give me hugs and thank me for being there and doing what I did. It turned out that this gorgeous lady did have epilepsy and it had been under control. For some reason on that day her system went a little wonky – and thankfully I was there to help. Over the weekend she’d had blood tests that showed her medication dosage was a little out, and so changes were made to bring her system back into balance.

I sometimes wonder what would have happened to this precious soul if things had been different. I know in reality someone would have done something to help, because that’s what we do – we take care of each other, even those people we don’t know, and in fact may never know. And in using our gifts and abilities, to help in whatever way we can, we make an impression on ourselves, those laying witness, and the Universe. And that feels damn good to me.

With deep love to you on your journey,

Helen xx

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