Channing Seideman
Posted on 09/30/2011 2:53:05 PM PDT by rawhide
ASPEN, Colo. (CBS4) – A former student at Colorado Mountain College says she was forced to drop a class because she had a seizure.
Channing Seideman was in the middle of an emergency medical technician class when she had an epileptic seizure. She said faculty members asked her to drop the class, saying the episode was too distracting to other students and there could be more.
Seideman said it was a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and she’s filed a complaint against the school.
She doesn’t want other people to experience the same thing.
“They’re allowed to have a seizure in class. They don’t have to get kicked out. It’s kind of just paving the way for other people with disabilities or epileptics,” Seideman told CBS4.
Colorado Mountain College did not return calls from CBS4. It told the Aspen Times it cares about all its students.
Channing Seideman
such delicate students need to be protected sarc
But I am not sure I want an EMT subject to seizures.
Not if they are frequent or brought about by situations that one might frequently encounter as an EMT (flashing lights, blood and guts, etc).
As a concerned dad of daughters, perhaps you should reconsider your career choice. Part of the first responder creed is to be the solution, and not part of the problem.
I hope you can get your seizures under control, and pray you have a wonderful and fulfilling life. With your good looks, you could probably get an MRS degree pretty quick.
And, BTW, if I'm having a heart attack, I'd rather your partner that doesn't have seizures help me.
A concerned dad.
/johnny
That’s too bad. When I was in social services, a lifetime ago, I worked with a few people who had seizure disorders. A real nightmare. So sad. She’s got a tough row to hoe.
I can see her fighting to stay in class, and I hope she wins. OTOH, I’m not so sure what the qualifications are if that is they type of job she wants to get into (medic, firefighting, etc.). If the seizures are common that might not be the best line of work for her. Of course, most any job will have its risk.
It's an EMT class, for pete's sake. They need to work on not being distracted by stuff. The instructor missed a real teaching opportunity here.
If her condition is not under control, it could be problematic if she actually served as an EMT. College is a classic stress-out factor that will trigger seizures. But if her meds can be adjusted there's no reason not to continue.
I say this as somebody who has epilepsy in the family, although I'm not myself affected. You have to be a bit careful and be sure to take your meds, but everybody here has not let it even slow them down. The drivers license people need strong reassurance from your neurologist that the condition is under control, but about the only thing that has been unattainable for affected family members is a medical certificate for a pilot's license.
Those that can, do; those that can't, teach. If I were in that class, I'd request a different instructor...like maybe one that could cope with a minor medical emergency.
One was a girl I dated for many years. She kept her seizures under control by medication. I never once saw her have a seizure. She was so embarrassed it may happen while we were together.
I told to never think that way, as I would never think anything bad about her if something like that happened. In fact, I would have been very angry if I ever heard anyone made a derogatory comment about her having this condition. It was not her fault she was born this way and I would never demean her for having this problem.
A second experience was with a friend I knew, who was strong as an ox. One day we were on the bus together and he had a seizure. It freaked me out as I was not sure what would happen? I just waited and watched, making sure he did not swallow his tongue and after about 10-15 minutes he snapped out of it. First and only time I ever saw a seizure like that.
Of course it would be inconvenient or outright dangerous if a medical worker requires help alongside the patient. Perhaps she should work only in places where there is someone ready to replace her. Hospitals would be such places, for example.
It's also strange that students of "emergency medical technician" class can be psychologically hurt by an occurrence of a medical emergency in the classroom, where a competent instructor is present. If they are that delicate perhaps they should consider a career as florists.
Soo....her seizure stressed out the other EMT’s?
I don’t want EMT’s that cant handle a simple medical event.
She was in a classroom of folks who should be able to cope.
Ya’ll miised the point big time.
She wasn’t refused a job because she couldn’t do it.
She wasn’t fired for having a siezure on the job.
She was told to drop a class (which she most likely paid for) because she was a DISTRACTION to the other students
She is not endangering anyone in the class. Nor is she endangering anyone else because she is only a student.
Let’s look at how great these other students are going to perform on the job if they a traumatised so badly by a person having a seizure.
Her fellow students, training to become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s) should be able to professionally and calmly deal with a seizure.
They should have questioned HER ability to calmly and professionally deal with the subject matter (blood and guts, trauma and whatnot) without going into seizure.
There was a girl in my high school biology class that would have been banned from EVERYWHERE under these parameters.
They might prick themselves on rose thorns.
CMC is going to lose this battle in court.
As for this young lady actually becoming an EMT, I think she can get the job, BUT if her disability becomes a liability to other peoples health I could see her being terminated from that position.
40 D zoomers?
She's not part of the solution. She's part of the problem.
Good for the school to catch it before it went to where someone else could have been at risk.
She needs to choose a different career. Sounds like the school ask her to drop the class. I would, too, if she were a relative of mine.
/johnny
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