Today’s blog post is a very personal one not backed by research or the latest trending article. Instead, it is based on a moment in time in which you step in to help a complete stranger. There is so much good in the world and as a physical therapist, I have the amazing task of helping people heal on a daily basis. This means different things to different therapists, but the overall feeling is that we will do everything in our power to help others.

Last Wednesday was a normal day except that I left work a little later. As I walked out of my office on to 43rd Street, there was a woman on the sidewalk convulsing. A man next to me said she must be a drug addict who had overdosed. I looked closely and saw that she was suffering a massive seizure and thrashing so badly that she was bleeding from the mouth. She was face down, hitting her head against the sidewalk while everyone walked by. I ran to her and managed to turn her over to stop her from smashing her face. I saw then that she was just an ordinary person, not a drug addict. I had placed her on her side and people were calling 9-1-1 as she continued convulsing.  Her eyes started to roll back, and, suddenly, she stopped breathing and looked as though she were dying. I immediately started chest compressions until she started breathing again and someone else had checked her pulse. It seemed like ages. At that point, I realized that this poor person could die on the sidewalk. For me, that was very profound, that this poor individual could actually stop breathing from the seizure and pass away.

Luckily, she started to come around but didn’t know who she was and was unresponsive to simple commands. She kept trying to get up and leave, and it took three of us to restrain her. She was still disorientated with no idea of what had happened. She was bleeding from her face, hands, and knees. A woman nearby recognized her, but only by her first name. This poor woman could have been anyone walking home. The fire department came and helped her until the ambulance arrived. This was one of the scariest things that I have ever seen. . . to have a complete stranger almost die with my hands on her.

I share this story for two reasons. First: I was lucky enough to know CPR.  I have taken numerous courses through the Red Cross and recently, Hands Only. I never ever thought I would use it. I learned it for my certifications and as a backup for my child, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to know. Second: never judge a book by its cover! This person was in distress, not a drug addict. Until we walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, we have no idea of their struggles. If everyone had listened to the man claiming that the person in trouble was a drug addict, no one would have helped her.

I pray the woman is alright and getting the care she needs. We all need a little help sometimes; so, be kind to your neighbors because a nice gesture can go a long way.

For information on CPR classes near you, please see below:

http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr

http://cpr.heart.org/AHAECC/CPRAndECC/Programs/HandsOnlyCPR/UCM_473196_Hands-Only-CPR.jsp