Thursday, April 17, 2008

A Boy had a Fit

God works in mysterious ways. And sometimes I can see how things happen for a reason or at least have it seem like things happen so that it will bring you to a place at the "right time" for a reason. I think it happened tonight.

For months now, I do my evening jogs around my estate and I start of with some mandatory stretching and then I begin plodding along my route and I do this normally for 6 rounds + stretch/crunch/legraise + do a final 25 floor climb to finish off. On most days, mental strength will pull me through my rounds and enable me to complete it with much gusto.

Some strange days like today, I was winded by my 3rd round and I couldn't understand why and I walked the 4th round and decided that that was it for the day so I settled in for my regular stretches and leg raises that I do after my runs. No matter what I did to talk to myself today that my body can do it, its all in my mind.. today. It was really just not working.

The playground was full so I didn't even have my regular spot on the ground to lay down so I chose a different area. I finished my 100 leg raises and then I decided again... thats it. Today was just not a workout day.

I strolled to my block and purposely slowed my steps so I'd miss a lift that was getting full from people coming back from work. Also because I smelt like sweat which really isn't that pleasant in a crowded lift.

I stood there with another lady and the other lift came down and opened. To our surprise, we saw a teenage malay boy bending over another one and we saw to our horror that the one on the ground was having a foaming fit.

Wah lau eh!! HENGSUAY LAH! Must happen to me lor!

At that moment, there was really no one else other than myself and that other lady around with the boys. We hesitated and stared not knowing what to do. I stared at her and we stared at them.

She asked "what happened?" The boy said "he's like that, just needs some time to get up"

So I asked "you need help?" The boy feebly nodded.

With the woman holding the lift doors open, I hopped into the lift and together with the other boy, dragged the unconcious one out to the lift floor.

MY GOODNESS. An unconcious body is DAMN BLARDY HEAVY OKAY!!! And he was skinny type one lor! -.-''

I take it that the boy is around 15 years old or so.

I attempted to lift him and fireman lift him but he was really damn heavy so we just dragged him by his armpits out. Aiyoh!

It just so happen also at that moment when we stepped out, another block resident was returning home from work and it happened to be a NURSE.

The woman yelled out "are you a nurse? are you a nurse? can you help?" and I turned to look at who was coming.

OF course she was a blardy nurse lah! She's wearing her full uniform what?!?!!! What the hell? Panic warped your mind issit? DUH!! Relax mah!! U panic, they panic, everyone panic then how? Piangs!!

Immediately I turned into healthcare mode. *I bet you didn't know I'm actually "medically trained" hahaha I'm a St. John first aider/student nurse and my MIL was a TTSH nurse before she retired...*

I pulled out my phone to call the ambulance and asked the boy if he wanted us to proceed. He didn't want us to call and said his brother is always like that. So we waited and checked again. "Sure you don't want us to call the ambulance?". He declined again.

I positioned the boy into recovery position and together with the nurse, we tried to assess his situation and check that he was able to breathe and had a pulse etc etc... he seemed fine considering that he wasn't actually still convulsing and foaming anymore.

He stopped spitting saliva and was just getting really relaxed. A minute later, he fell asleep.
Really sleep like snoring too.. so we all just squatted around him and stared at him while talking to his brother. Obviously we found out that they were brothers and they were walking up and down the blocks sticking "TO RENT" signages on the walls of each floor for some rental agent as some part time work.

We found out that they lived nearby and that the brother actually had fits regularly. We could still see the fear in the little brothers eyes so we tried to stay calm.

Then the RC door opened nearby from a finished tuition class and a stream of parents and children started to crowd the area. Obviously there were KAYPOs too, asking and asking what happened. IRRITATING LAH!! We tried to clear the area to make sure there was enough ventilation and before long, after some really LOR SOR uncles talking and giving their "sound" advise were cleared.

The lady that found the boys with me offered to drive the boys back home and she and her husband waited around while the nurse and me sat by the boys side.

For some reason, I didn't want to leave until I was sure that he woke up and was alright. I'm sure the nurse felt the same. It was like an obligation that held us there knowing that we'd not be able to live with ourselves if we just left the situation half done.

We patted his arm trying to rouse him. He slept on so we waited and waited and waited.. probably for about 30 minutes then he started to stir and rub his head.

We called out to him, "Irfan! Irfan! Can you hear me?" He finally opened his eyes and we pulled him up to sit.

He was in a total daze with his eyes wide open in shock and stared at us in panic. I quickly told him to stay calm and that he had a fit.

"Huh! Me had a fit? Oh no." Then clutched his head. We all held him up in a little of a panic thinking that he might throw another fit.

It turned out that while he was collapsing, he hit his head in the lift. Aiyoh!! Poor thing lah.

His brother said he has medication at home so we told him to go home and rest and make sure he took his medication. The couple then helped him up, he was steady enough to walk and they made their way to the car.

The nurse and I just stood by as we watched the car drive off to the boy's home. And I felt my heart swell in pride.

Pride in not that I was able to help but how we all rallied together to help a stranger out of genuine concern. And with that I was heartened to see the strength of the human spirit come together in times of trouble.

Thank God. You work in mysterious ways. I hope the boys are fine....

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