Navigating through a medical emergency is a big enough crisis for a public school. So imagine the dilemma when one Alabama high school had to deal with six different students who had epilepsy episodes in a single day.
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Six teenage girls at Colbert County High School in Leighton dealt with seizure-like episodes last Monday (August 24), according to a report from NBC affiliate WAFF. Only one student was hospitalized with the remaining teens electing to either stay at the school or leave with a trusted guardian.
The six teens also reportedly began feeling identical symptoms around the same time. But that is not the most bizarre part of the story. Oddly enough this is not the first time that Colbert County High has had to navigate through this type of situation.
Six Teens Suffer Seizures at Alabama High School
To put things into perspective, less than two percent of the American population deals with active seizures. So for six people to have episodes in the same school on the same day is extremely uncommon.
Following the series of seizures, Colbert County Schools Superintendent Nathan Fuller issued a statement. In the statement obtained by the outlet, Fuller references the series of "episodes," which he says began "last school year."
He also says that he reached out to the Alabama Department of Public Health. They assured him that the series of epilepsy episodes is not a part of any kind of "public outbreak."
"I have followed up with them continuously, including today. We have followed all of their recommendations. They have assured us there is no public health outbreak or exposure," Fuller said in a statement obtained by WAFF. "Because medical information is private, I am limited in what I can share. We respect the privacy of our students and their families. However, the Alabama Department of Public Health has the authority to review medical records and make recommendations."
The statement also adds:
"I want to personally reassure our community that the safety and well-being of our students is the number one priority of Colbert County High School and Colbert County Schools
