The Girl on the Concrete (& the Echoes That Followed)

What I learned after being an integral part of the help team for a strangers medical emergency

On Friday I was at Chicago’s Comic Con, soaking in the joy and creativity and chaos of it all, when a stranger’s emergency unraveled right in front of me.

She fell back, hard — her head slammed into the concrete, and within seconds, her body was convulsing. A grand mal seizure had taken over.

And just like that, the world tilted.

I don’t remember making the decision to act. My body just… moved. My background in neurology and pediatric epilepsy took the wheel. I dropped down next to her. I directed those nearby — “Turn her on her side, protect her head, check for a medical alert tag or bracelet.” I called 911. I stayed calm.

When her eyes finally opened, it appeared that she had regained consciousness, but she was not visually or verbally responsive. I can only imagine how scared she must’ve been.

I gave a report when the paramedics arrived. I stayed with her until she was safely strapped onto a stretcher, and I’d made my insider knowledge clear on which hospital she should be taken to.

As soon as they were out of sight, I crumbled.

Right there, on the convention floor, I broke down into hysterical tears.

Because it could’ve been me.

Because it has been me.

Because it still might be me again, someday.

Living with chronic illness — with adrenal insufficiency, among other things — means that the threat of medical crisis is never theoretical. It’s real. It’s lingering. It’s unpredictable. This experience was the most visceral reminder of that.

On another note, exactly a year ago I was the one strapped to a stretcher as my unknown ectopic pregnancy was causing life-threatening internal bleeding. My body was crashing. My mind was spinning. My life was hanging in the balance. That moment lives inside me, just beneath the surface. It doesn’t take much to unearth it, especially on its anniversary.

As I stood next to that girl, I couldn’t stop thinking: What if I were alone? What if I went into adrenal crisis at Comic Con or even at Target with only my 5-year-old daughter by my side? What if nobody knew what to do?

This is why I wear a medical alert tag on my Apple Watch.

This is why I keep an emergency injection & instructions in my purse — always.

This is why I’ve taught my daughter how to use my phone to call 911, and to say, with confidence, “My mommy needs the special medicine in her purse.”

It’s heartbreaking that we have to prepare our children for these possibilities. But this is the reality of being a chronically ill parent — we don’t get the luxury of “what ifs.” We live in “just in case.”

To the girl from Comic Con — I hope you’re okay. I hope you have support. I hope you know you weren’t alone. And I hope, if you ever read this, that you know you were unbelievably brave.

To everyone else — please consider this your reminder:

Wear a medical alert tag if it’s warranted.

Put your emergency contacts in your phone’s lock screen.

Teach your kids how to get help if you can’t.

Talk about the hard, the scary, the what-ifs.

Because we don’t get to choose when our bodies stop cooperating.

We only get to choose how prepared we are.

And even then, it’s still terrifying.

But we’re not alone.

We’re never alone.

If this resonated with you, or you’re navigating chronic illness, caregiving, trauma, or parenting through medical uncertainty — I’d love for you to subscribe.

This space is for truth-telling, unfiltered honesty, and the kind of solidarity that comes from saying the quiet parts out loud. We do hard things, together.

Resources to Protect Yourself + Your Loved Ones:

• Set up your Medical ID on iPhone
  Go to Health App > Your Profile Photo > Medical ID > Tap Edit > Fill in details like emergency contacts, conditions, meds, allergies, blood type. Make sure “Show When Locked” is toggled ON.

• Set up Medical ID on Apple Watch
  Once your iPhone Medical ID is set, your Watch will mirror it. Anyone can hold down the side button to bring up the Medical ID on the lock screen.

• Wear a Medical Alert Tag
  Whether it’s on your Apple Watch band, a necklace, or in your wallet — anything is better than nothing.

• Teach Your Kids
  If your child is old enough, show them how to activate emergency services on your phone. Practice what to say to paramedics in case they ever need to advocate for you.