Anne Patterson

Seizure Safe Schools Testimony – Maine

Anne Patterson

Testimony in Support of LD 211 Senator Rafferty, Representative Murphy, members of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, my name is Anne Patterson, I am 23 years old, and I live in Augusta.  I am testifying in support of LD 211.  As an individual with epilepsy, who had a seizure in school, this legislation is deeply personal to me.  I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was six years old and had my seizure in my first-grade classroom in Needham, Massachusetts, where I grew up. My memories of that day are fuzzy.  I remember sitting in my chair during independent reading time, and my teacher, Ms. Williams, asking if I was okay.  The next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor, dazed, and confused.  I remember being carried in a stretcher to an ambulance, with my mom and an EMT on either side of me.  But the moment that stuck with me the most was trying to answer the EMT’s questions. 

I specifically remember him asking me what I was going to be for Halloween.  It was late October, so of course, I already knew what my costume would be.  And it was on the tip of my tongue, but I just could not remember. And it was so scary. But having read LD 211, and with weeks of reflection, I realize that day - awful as it felt - was one of the luckiest days of my life.  I had already been diagnosed with epilepsy, so my teacher and nurses had a seizure action plan ready.  Ms. Williams noticed my leg stiffen in a strange way, and she came over to check on me. When I did not respond, she checked the time and asked the teacher next door to take my classmates outside.  She then laid me on my side in case I vomited, and the school nurses were prepared to administer rescue medication if the seizure continued past five minutes.  

EMTs arrived promptly, and I was taken to a nearby hospital.  Despite the fear and confusion of that day - for both me and my family - I am so grateful for the people and resources that kept me safe.  I will tell you this story to contrast my circumstances with those of many people in Maine. Specifically, my access to emergency care.  According to a 2023 study by Maine Rural Health Research center, 15/16 counties in Maine have Ambulance deserts, which are populated census blocks with their geographic center outside of a 25- minute ambulance service area.  

This issue is exemplified in the many news stories about Mainers in emergency situations waiting hours to get help.  In this current legislative session, the Revisor’s Office has already printed three bills (LD 245, LD 306, and LD 176) that address Maine’s deficiency in emergency care.  LD 245, An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission to Study Emergency Medical Services in the State, says, “the expedient and efficient implementation of the commission's recommendations is necessary to support the short-term and long-term future of the emergency medical services system at a time when many emergency medical services entities are at immediate or future risk of failing and leaving their service areas without adequate access to emergency medical services.” A seizure that extends past five minutes can indicate status epilepticus. This condition requires emergency care immediately, including administering a rescue medication.  

Without this medical care, status epilepticus can be life-threatening.  With so many areas of Maine lacking emergency care that can arrive in five minutes, staff must be able to administer the medication themselves.  This legislation is a critical step to protecting students with epilepsy and other seizure disorders.  

I urge you to vote ought-to-pass on LD 211 so that children who have a seizure in school can grow up, like me, to realize that they were lucky.  Lucky to have a school that was prepared to respond to a seizure, and lucky to live in Maine.