COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – A law effective from July 1st mandates South Carolina public schools to implement a seizure training program aimed at assisting students with epilepsy and seizures.
“This training is crucial for ensuring a smooth response during what can be a frightening situation—seizures, to those inexperienced, can be quite alarming. There’s often an immediate fear that something severe is occurring,” expressed Sharon Paeth, a parent and educator in Irmo, South Carolina.
Paeth’s daughter, Megan, has had several seizures in school.
“With proper training, people will respond more objectively and with less panic. Staying calm is crucial, especially when circumstances become hectic. As a parent and educator, maintaining composure is key,” Paeth added.
Paeth said it’s crucial for Megan’s safety and other students like her to have the comfort that teachers know what to do.
“They talk a lot about, now, how teachers can help students feel confident in a classroom setting. When Megan was little she didn’t have that. We had a lovely community and everybody was very supportive, but people didn’t necessarily feel trained, and that’s what this will do,” Paeth said.
The law states that every public and charter school in South Carolina has to offer seizure training to staff. The goal is to make sure everyone knows how to spot a seizure and respond safely.
“This can be lifesaving training and knowing what to do. The statistic of 1 in 26 people will be diagnosed with epilepsy, and if you think about that, that’s about the average class size,” said Karen St. Marie from South Carolina Advocates for Epilepsy.
This bi-partisan bill was passed unanimously in both chambers except for Senate majority leader, Shane Massey. He declined to comment.
