Iowa Senate should pass Seizure Safe Schools legislation

Every mother knows that the scariest part of motherhood is fearing that her child is unsafe. My son, Zach, now a college student, has had epilepsy since he was six years old. While he was attending grade school, Zach experienced several seizures, sometimes multiple seizures in a day. However, none of the education staff in his school have had formal seizure training.

Every morning that I watched Zach walk out of the door to school, I became anxious. What would have happened if Zach had a seizure, and the school staff didn’t know what to do?

Zach was just one of four thousand school-age students in Iowa who live with epilepsy and experience seizures on a routine basis. This would equate to almost sixty school buses full of children.

On behalf of all concerned families out there, I am urging Iowa legislators to pass the Seizure Safe School bill. This legislation will ensure that educators and support staff have the proper training to respond to seizures, whether it’s in the classroom, on the school bus, or while away at a school activity. The bill will also require an individual plan on file for each student, removing any uncertainty about that student’s specific needs.

We cannot leave Iowa children behind. We must rally behind these kids, and join the 23 other states, including Texas and Florida, that provide a safe environment for their children, by passing House File 608.

Staci Wedel

Cedar Rapids