How a 7-year-old Florida boy saved his mother during an epileptic seizure

River Millar felt something was wrong that night while her father was away. Then he heard his mother fall and sprang into action to revive her.

PALM BEACH GARDENS – River Millar did exactly what her father dreamed of doing when the crisis hit.

The 7-year-old saved his mother from an epileptic seizure one October night while his father traveled nearly 200 miles across the state on a business trip.

Chase Millar had long worried about what might happen if his wife, Dani, had a seizure while he wasn’t nearby. A particularly strong attack can lead to falls, fractures and worse.

His son’s courageous reaction surprised him.

“I’m not sure I can see myself as strong as you,” Chase River recalled that night. “’You crushed him. I’m shocked at how calmly you handled the situation. »

How a 7-year-old Florida boy saved his mother during an epileptic seizure

Learn how 7-year-old River Millar of Palm Beach Gardens saved her mother from an epileptic seizure while her father was on a work trip.

Son ‘rises to the occasion’ when his crisis brings down his mother

The seizure took place quickly on Dani Millar on the night of October 1 at the family home near Palm Beach Gardens High School.

“We had a good night, but I can be perfectly fine and all of a sudden this happens,” said Dani, a 37-year-old former school teacher who suffers from back-to-back seizures. “But River always delivers. He’s an extraordinary child.

River said he noticed something was wrong with his mother a few minutes before her seizure. He had trouble falling asleep after she put him to bed. Then he heard a loud noise coming from his room. She fell when the crisis started.

He knew how to administer his mother’s nasal rescue medicine — which can stop seizures when they occur — from watching his father do it many times before. His parents are relieved to know how.

River ran to her mother and grabbed the medicine from her nightstand. Normally it takes 10 minutes to work and usually stops his seizures long enough to get him to the hospital. That night, a kind of miracle happened: it stopped them completely.

River tried to call her father on a smart speaker in the family home. When that didn’t work, he ran to a neighbor’s house, two doors down. The neighbor called Chase, who asked him to call 911 and meet the paramedics at their home to see if Dani needed to go to the hospital. Fortunately, she didn’t.

“I was thinking, ‘I hope everyone stays calm,'” said Chase, 40, who works for a plywood supplier in Riviera Beach. “But there I was, packing my suitcase. I was a wreck.

Chase started the three-hour drive home to Palm Beach Gardens just after the neighbor called him. River remained calm despite the chaos.

“I was really scared,” said the 7-year-old who attends St. Clare Catholic School in North Palm Beach. “(But) God told me I was OK.”

Children can help meet family’s medical needs, parents say

Dani had her first seizure two years ago. Now it happens every three or four months. She’s still trying to find out what triggers them.

Chase is ready to help Dani as soon as possible. Dani even had a meltdown in the car while driving them to their destination for their 10th wedding anniversary. Moments like these have become their new normal.

“Thank God I recovered,” Dani said. “The worst part is that River has to be exposed to it.”

Still, the couple recommends that parents teach their children how to help a family member with medical needs.

“You never expect to need support from your own child, but you never know,” Dani said. “People have invisible illnesses and their children suffer a lot from them. It is important to be prepared.

The Epilepsy Foundation offers advice on how to help someone in crisis. He recommends calling 911 if the seizure lasts more than five minutes, if the person has difficulty breathing or if it’s the first time they’ve had a seizure.. You can call the foundation at 1-800-332-1000.

Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida network. Contact her at [email protected]. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.