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Husband's reaction to wife's seizures while shopping has people praising his quick thinking

"This man knows you well."

seizures; FND seizures; ways to interrupt seizures; seizure spray bottle; punch during seizure
Photo credit: Canva

Husband's reactions to wife's seizures is gaining praise

Seizures are scary, likely for everyone involved. The person experiencing a seizure is feeling out of control of their body and those around them feeling panicked about how to help. If you're not familiar with what you're supposed to do when someone has a seizure then you may fall into the panicked category where you want to help but aren't sure how.

Believe it or not there are methods to assist someone experiencing certain types of seizures to help them come back to their senses quickly. Justin and Rachel Poole recently shared a video of their shopping trip which included catching Rachel having multiple seizures in the store. But it's the way Justin handles the seizures that has people talking.

Rachel is diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), which is a neurological disorder that can result in cognitive issues, speech problems, pain, fatigue and seizures.

The woman's FND diagnosis came after being attacked by a man wielding a knife while she was nine months pregnant. At the time Rachel was home alone FaceTiming Justin who was deployed in Southwest Asia unable to physically reach his wife in El Paso, Texas. Thankfully, Rachel and the couple's daughter survived the vicious attack and the man responsible was jailed, but it's believed to be that event that caused the disorder.

A woman sitting on a bed holding a pillow Photo by Solving Healthcare on Unsplash

In the video uploaded to social media, the couple are seen walking around the store placing needed items into their shopping cart when suddenly Rachel slowly leans onto the cart. It didn't take long for Justin to recognize that his wife was in trouble as he scoops her into his arms trying to stop her from hitting the ground. He props her against his body quickly tilting her head back and asking if she's okay but Rachel doesn't respond. The woman still appears to be in an unresponsive state when Justin quickly hits her in the sternum snapping her back to the present.

From a bystander's point of view it would look as if he simply hit an unconscious woman in the chest. In reality, Justin is using a previously researched method of introducing a painful stimuli to interrupt a seizure, though there's debate over if that's helpful. In Rachel's situation it seems to have done what it was intended to do so the pair attempt to finish their shopping and get out of the store.

Sport Boxing GIF by Joko GIFsGiphy

"Girl if you fall on your face in this store...I'm running. What was that," Justin jokes before saying, "I just want to get out of this store right now" when Rachel asks if he wants an apple.

The two are trying to laugh through the moment but you can tell they're both concerned another seizure may come and for good reason.

Movie Reaction GIFGiphy

"I couldn't help it. I'm really sorry," she says before asking if he could go in front of her to presumably unload the cart. Justin declines out of fear she'll have another seizure joking that she needs to give him warning next time by yelling timber.

Just a few moments later it's clear Rachel is fighting to keep her eyes open and is struggling to communicate. As she starts to lean backwards, the man seemingly grabs a spray bottle out of thin air, spraying his wife in the face. This is another technique to attempt to interrupt a seizure by activating the vagus nerve.


@jd_life.with.fnd #fnd ♬ original sound - jd_life.with.fnd

People were thoroughly impressed by his attention to his wife along with his ability to know what to do in a calm, quick manner. Several joke about the techniques used while still praising the man's dedication.

"He rebuked that seizure so fast! Lmao! Girl you got a damn good man right there," someone writes.

"He was so quick with that spray bottle ahahah. he said SEIZURE GET BACK!!! AHT AHT," another jokes.

Children Peoples GIFGiphy

"Having seizures is wild! I also have a seizure disorder & it is so interesting to me to see how they present in others. Stay safe & that man is a treasure," one person chimes in.

"The reboot punch sent me, but the spray bottle like you a cat on the drapes then you casually like “oh phone number?” With a dripping face," someone else laughs.

While the methods to interrupt Rachel's seizures may be amusing to some, seizures are a serious condition so others were concerned that the family needs a service dog to help alert them. Service dogs can be cost prohibitive and it's not clear if the Pooles are working on getting one for Rachel or if the type of seizures caused by FND can be detected early by a service dog. In the meantime it seems that Justin is on top of anything that comes their way.

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Joy

5 wholesome things to do this weekend: Stream this movie, make your own bucket list, and more

Easy and fun things you can do this weekend that will make your life (and the people around you!) happier

Blink, a new documentary from NatGeo, is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

True

It’s December, and we’re all currently in the thick of it: Wrapping presents, baking cookies, and scouring the toy aisles for that must-have gift of the season. But in the middle of all the holiday chaos, it’s easy to lose sight on what the season is really about: making meaningful memories with our loved ones.

From volunteering to building a bucket list to watching maybe the most uplifting documentary we’ve ever seen, we’ve put together five simple and wholesome activities that will leave you and the entire family a little more connected and a whole lot happier. Ready to make memories that last? Let’s dive in.

Make a difference close to home

littlefreepantry.org

A 2023 analysis from the journal Frontiers in Psychology showed that people who regularly volunteered in their communities had greater self-esteem, more self-reported happiness, and a greater sense of personal fulfillment. (Um, yes, please.) If that sounds like something you want to experience as well, then you're in luck: There's no better time to lend a helping hand than during the holiday season. You could shovel a neighbor's driveway, buy presents for kids in need, or—who knows? You might want to be super ambitious, like setting up a food pantry or volunteering as an "interim parent" like this woman, who cares for babies and young children while their adoptions are being finalized. The sky is the limit.

Watch this feel-good, family flick

Get the tissues ready: This is maybe the most uplifting documentary you’re ever going to see. The film, “Blink,” follows a family with four children, three of whom have a rare genetic disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). With RP, the cells of the retina slowly die off, leaving a person with tunnel vision that shrinks until they are nearly—or totally—blind.

The parents, Edith Lemay and Sébastien Pelletier, decide to gift their children with incredible sights and experiences so that they can treasure them forever, even after their sight is gone. The film follows the Pelletier family as they make a bucket list and set out on a year-long journey across 24 countries to make some incredible memories.

For some seriously wholesome holiday goodness, stream "Blink," now on Disney+ and Hulu.

Make your very own bucket list

person writing bucket list on bookPhoto by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

To fulfill their dreams, the Pelletier family in the National Geographic documentary "Blink" created a bucket list with every kind of memory they wanted to fulfill, from seeing a sunrise on a mountain to "drink[ing] juice on a camel." (Because, sure. Why not?) Spend some time thinking of your own dreams you'd like to fufill. This is the perfect activity if you're looking for something creative and family-friendly—just gather the kids around for a brainstorming sesh and let the ideas fly. You might not actually complete all of these items (or any of them), but dreaming them up and spending time together is half the fun.

Spread some holiday cheer


Whatever your family’s ages and interests, there are a thousand different ways to spread holiday cheer this season, whether you’re singing Christmas carols door-to-door or just exchanging a warm holiday greeting. If you need inspiration, look no further than John Reichart, 74, who (just like the Pelletier kids) wants to create new memories for his family while he's still able to. Following his wife Joan’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Reichart set out to decorate every house in their neighborhood with lights and decorations purchased out of his own pocket. Simply inspirational.

Make someone's life a little easier. 

I need this goober in my life.
byu/kenistod inMadeMeSmile

The holiday season is all about giving and togetherness, but let’s be real, it’s no easy feat. Sometimes we can get stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted. One surefire way to make this world a better place is to think of ways to make someone’s life just a little easier, like this mom who picks up her teenager’s bedroom every morning after he goes to school. You could even send a note of encouragement to someone who needs it, or bake some treats and leave them out for a hangry delivery driver.

It’s probably easier than you think to spread the love and leave the world a little happier than you found it.

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Joy

Guy shares a simple, 2-minute solution to friendship distancing, calls it 'game-changing'

The "Wednesday Waffle" has become a weekly tradition for friend groups around the world.

Photo credit: Canva

The "Wednesday Waffle" is taking hold of friend groups everywhere.

One of the realities of adulthood is that friendships morph and change, even if we don't want them to. As friends who were once close embark on individual life adventures—moving away from home, finding jobs, getting into relationships, starting families—it's inevitable that friendships will shift and some distancing will happen. That's life, but that doesn't mean that we can't make an effort to maintain connection and create ways of keeping in touch with the people we care about.

In the olden days, friends would correspond with letters, but technology gives us many more ways to stay in touch. Unfortunately, smartphone use can easily overtake our lives, and figuring out how to utilize technology in a healthy and productive way can be tricky. But a video explaining a "game-changing" weekly tradition that provides a simple, quick way to keep up with our friends' lives has people wanting to create a "Wednesday Waffle" themselves..

"As I get older, I'm getting used to the fact that I don't hear from my friends as often as I used to," says Kirx Diaz. "And I understand, life is lifing, and I live 3,000 miles away from a lot of my closest people, but it's something that I've really had to come to terms with."

"However," he adds, "about a month and a half ago, we were introduced to this concept called the Wednesday Waffle, and basically what this is is a two-minute video life update talking about what we've been up to that week, how we've been feeling, and kind of everything in between. And I can't lie, it's been game-changing. The group chat's always going off, we know who's going through it, who's doing well, who we need to check up on throughout the week. And for the first time in a long time, I actually feel closer to my friends now than I did when I was living back home."

The Wednesday Waffle idea originally went viral from another guy on Instagram, who explained how he and his group of three friends send one another brief video updates every Wednesday. As @nonpractisinggenius explains, "waffling" with friends is "a game changer for maintaining long distance friendships." Some of the benefits he points out include:

- It takes just two minutes
- Fights feelings of loneliness
- Brings joy to the week
- Deepens connections
- Accommodates different schedules / timezones

When Americans hear "Wednesday Waffle," they may assume that it's something like Taco Tuesday, but "waffle" in this case is an Australian slang term for talking. "It’s just Aussie talk for speaking at length about nothing in particular. (think jibber jabber, yammer, natter, babble)" the originator explains.

It wasn't until he showed his partner a "waffle" from a friend who had recently had a baby that he realized how impactful it was. "She was really blown away by the fact that we'd been sending these Wednesday Waffles to each other every Wednesday for a couple of years," he said. She just thought it was such a great thing for friends to do to stay connected, and it made me kinda think about it. I've been taking it for granted, but it is such a good thing and I look forward to their video every Wednesday. So maybe this is something other people can introduce to their life."

People in the comments have been sharing their experiences starting up a similar habit with their friends. It doesn't have to be on Wednesdays and it doesn't have to be any specific length, but keeping the videos short and sweet help it become a sustainable practice.

"Put this vid in a group chat with 5 of my boys… everyone participated and it was a pretty great, and connective experience. I hope we are able to keep it up. Except we waffled on a Thursday."

"I sent this video to my 2 best friends in our group chat about a month ago and we have been doing this every week since. It’s been amazing because they both have crazy travel schedules with work and we have been able to see so much from each other in such a short time. Thank you for posting this, I can’t wait to see how we evolve it moving forward. ❤️"

"Started Wednesday waffles with the boyz this morning. Thanks for the suggestion."

"Dude! Me and my mates started this a few weeks ago. The absolute joy it brings us all every week is irreplaceable. Thanks for the inspiration. Legend. 🙌"

Whether you're wanting to keep in touch with one friend or a handful of them, a weekly "waffle" on a specific day of the week might just be the simple solution you've been looking for. Friendships do change over time and life legitimately makes keeping up with friends a challenge, but we don't have to resign ourselves to losing touch with people we care about when we have the technology to stay connected. All it takes is a few minutes and the ability to press record and send.

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Pop Culture

People are loving this Amazon delivery driver for warning a woman that her house is 'unsafe'

Great info, even better delivery.

TikTok

Delivering packages AND safety.

Amazon delivery drivers don’t have the easiest job in the world. Sitting through traffic, working in extreme temperatures, hauling boxes; it's not exactly a fun time. So when a driver goes out of their way to be extra considerate—people notice.

One delivery driver has gone viral for the way she delivered a little bit of safety education along with some lighthearted advice. The TikTok of the encounter, which now has more than 4 million views, was shared by Jessica Huseman, who had only recently moved into her new house.


The clip shows the doorbell cam recording of the driver approaching the house. As the delivery driver makes it to the front door, she sings, ”Hello … I hope your Monday’s going well. You have no markers on your house that says what number you are.”

From there, the driver’s song quickly changes tune, going from funny jest to helpful PSA.

“And that is hard to find your house, my dude, and it’s unsafe, honestly,” the driver continues, adding, “what if you needed medical assistance and the paramedics didn’t know your town well? Come on.”

@_jesshopehuse We just moved in and this happened today…she’s not wrong though. Guess I need to get some house numbers. #amazondelivery ♬ original sound - Jessica Huseman

“Have a great day!” she says happily before walking off.

Huseman added the caption: “We just moved in and this happened today... she’s not wrong though. Guess I need to get some house numbers.”

The driver’s observation was clearly on point. Several medical pros commented to back her up.

“As someone who works in EMS I can verify house numbers are necessary! BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THEY ARE EASILY VISIBLE FROM THE STREET AT NIGHT,” wrote one person.

Another replied, ”yes! Medic here, we’ve had to call dispatch and ask for them to get [the] caller back on the phone and get [the] description of [the] house because there [are] no numbers.”

Besides her information being vital, people were mostly in love with the driver’s friendly attitude. Here are just a few of the compliments:

“Honestly, give them a raise. That’s awesome vibes right there.”

“She’s a whole friken mood, I love her she gives me pink vibes.”

“I need to meet this Amazon driver!!!! I love her!!”


The delivery driver in question, Kelsey, eventually saw her viral video and decided to do a follow-up, where she added other unsafe things she’s seen on the job—primarily unclear entrances and exits—along with an additional sweet message:

@queenofconsent #stitch with @_jesshopehuse ♬ original sound - The Queen K

“Crisis management and prevention education is essential and literally a part of my soul. So anytime I do go out and deliver packages…if I see something, I say something. Cause that’s how bystander intervention works. But keeping in mind that it’s more than that. It is about reminding each other that we are enough, and being there for one another.”

Whether it’s packages or something to smile about, Kelsey is a master of delivery.


This article first appeared two years ago.

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Family

People are supporting a dad whose wife named their newborn while he went out for coffee

He didn't like the name, either. Shouldn’t it be a 50/50 decision?

via Canva

A mother smiles proudly after naming her baby.

Most people believe that both parents have an equal right to choose their baby’s name and that it should result from an agreement between both parties. That doesn't mean it’s always easy for both people to agree on the same name, but look, if you’re going to be a successful parent, you must know how to make compromises occasionally. Starting the job with your heels dug in does not bode well for anyone.

That’s why the following story is interesting. It shows what happens when a mother decides she can make the decision all by herself and what the fallout is like when her husband and his family find out. The story was recently shared on social media, and the commenters were shocked that she wasn’t sure if she was in the wrong.

"So, my (32F) husband (33M) and I just had our first baby girl a couple of weeks ago,” she begins the story. “We’d been going back and forth on names during my entire pregnancy. I really wanted to name her Eleanor after my late grandmother, who basically raised me when my parents weren’t around. She was my hero, and losing her last year was devastating. Honoring her felt deeply important.”

The woman’s husband preferred modern names such as Nova or Ember, which the mother just “couldn’t connect with,” so they never compromised.

baby names, parents of newborns, momsCaouple can't agree on baby names.via Canva

“On the day our daughter was born, while my husband stepped out to grab coffee, a nurse asked if we had a name for the birth certificate. I know I should have waited, but I was emotional and felt this rush of conviction. I just blurted out, ‘Eleanor.’”

When the husband returned with the coffee, he was “furious.”

“He said I’d blindsided him, robbed him of having a say, and that our daughter would hate her 'old lady' name. His family is also calling me manipulative. I feel terrible about the timing and how it all went down, but it’s not like we hadn’t discussed Eleanor before. I just feel like I honored a name that truly mattered to me when he wouldn’t budge.”

The mother asked the commenters if the father was overreacting because “we couldn’t find common ground.”

The commenters overwhelmingly supported the father in the situation. “You made a unilateral decision about your shared child,” the top commenter wrote. “You literally started her life by using her as a centerpiece for conflict with your husband. You also isolated her from your husband during the first major decision regarding her. What a terrible way to start her life.”

“‘…it’s not like we hadn’t discussed Eleanor before.’ You discussed it and he said no. Personally, I think the name Eleanor is lovely, but that’s not the issue,” another commenter noted. “You unilaterally made a decision —a decision a you knew your husband disagreed with—about your—both of your—child. Your giving birth doesn’t make this child any less his. Your husband and his family are absolutely right. You blindsided him."

baby names, parents of newborns, momsA newborn baby. via Canva

However, a few commenters believed whoever birthed the child had the right to pick the name, even if the father disagreed. “This might be the only daughter you have and if he can’t make it meaningful for you when you just risked your life for this baby and let you have the win then idk,” one of the few supporters of the mother wrote. ”I would let him pick the middle name. Trendy names are overrated.”

The woman who posted her story has yet to follow up and share what happened next, but let’s hope she took the commenters’ advice and apologized to her husband and changed the baby's name. Most agree that it's not fair for him to call his daughter a name he doesn’t like for the rest of their lives and it will always be a sore spot in their relationship. It’s best to bring a child into a family where everyone is on the same page and agrees on the things that matter most.

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Innovation

Short man who spent $80,000 on surgery to grow 7 inches reveals if it was worth it

"I feel like a new man."

ntkdagreatest/TikTok

Dynzell Sigers was sick of being small. At 27-years-old and just 5' 5" tall, he decided to undergo an excruciating — and incredibly expensive — limb-lengthening surgery to become, as Skee Lo would say, a little bit taller. In December of 2022, Sigers underwent the first of what would be many surgeries.

Limb-lengthening is not for the squeamish. First, surgeons will cut one of your major leg bones (the femur or tibia) clean in two. Next, a metal rod will be inserted deep into the two sections of bone, connecting them again. Once you've healed from the surgery, you'll extend the rod very slightly with a rotator every couple of months. This slowly forces the body to stretch and grow the leg gradually. As you can imagine, it's a grueling process that involves a lot of physical therapy and dedication, and finally, another surgery to remove the device once the desired growth is achieved.

Most people are able to add about 2-3 inches to each limb lengthened (it can be done on your arms, too!), but Sigers decided to go back and have the procedure done all over again and was able to grow a whopping 7 inches taller. In the end, the surgeries and recovery cost him over $80,000.

Dynzell documented the entire journey on his social media, and just recently, had the lengthening device removed completely — almost two years after his first surgery.

After years of watching him work in the gym, attend rigorous physical therapy sessions, and struggle to regain range of motion, strength, and athleticism, we're all wondering the same thing:

Was it worth it?

@ntkdagreatest

My proportions after surgery #limblengthening #fitnessmodel #fitnessmotivation

Sigers says people he meets notice a difference in him right away, and the transformation has felt amazing.

"You just ooze confidence," he says a woman stopped to tell him one day. "Your smile and you just like, radiate confidence."

"That's the first time I've ever heard that in my life, and I've always considered myself a confident guy, like always," he told LADBible.

Some commenters accuse Sigers of being insecure or even vain. But they vastly underestimate the importance society places on men's height.

The numbers are in, and they are not kind for our short kings. Taller men have been shown to make more money (and so have tall women, actually), get more dates, are perceived as more confident and masculine, and can even be flat-out happier overall!

Being short can also make you be viewed as less successful and attractive, even when by most other objective measures, you're not. Brutal!

Studies have also shown an intense link between height and masculinity. Shorter men who 'believe' in masculine norms are more likely to be dissatisfied with their height than those who don't. In other words, being short can make you feel like less of a man, likely due to all the societal stigmas attached to height.

ntkdagreatest/TikTok

Sigers admits in an interview with NeedToKnow that dating was one of the big motivators behind his willingness to try limb-lengthening, but that the self-confidence goes way beyond scoring dates.

"In my teens, I was once rejected by a girl I had a huge crush on and although she found me attractive, her reasoning was that I was too short and too young for her.”

He tried wearing tall shoes, daily stretching, and other techniques for growing or appearing taller. Nothing was enough to move the needle. Since the surgeries, he's noticed an increase in the interest he gets from women — but it could just as well be from his dramatic boost in confidence, self-esteem, and outlook on life.

"All my life I struggled with viewing myself as a small person and no matter what I did to change it I always felt the same,” he told The New York Post. “Limb lengthening gave me the opportunity to change my life and the way I perceive life as a whole. I have no regrets and decided to share my journey with the world to let other men who feel the same know that there is another option for them.”

Limb-lengthening won't be an option for most people who are unhappy with their stature. It's controversial in some medical communities as it's extremely invasive and, technically, unnecessary in many cases. Outside of that, the process is unimaginably expensive and requires 1-2 years of dedicated physical recovery.

But its rising popularity should give us a lot of pause about how society values, or overvalues, height; especially in men.

In the meantime, Sigers says the $80,000 was money well spent.

“I feel like a new man and as though I was able to get a second chance at life.”

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Science

She tattooed half her face and you'd never know it. Her skills are just that good.

This incredible medical tattoo technology is giving renewed hope to burn victims.

All images via CBC News/YouTube

Basma Hameed runs a tattoo shop, of sorts...


Meet Samira Omar.

The 17-year-old was the victim of a horrific bullying incident.


A group of girls threw boiling water on her, leaving her badly burned and covered in scars and discoloration.

screenshot of woman wearing a hijab

17-year-old Samira Omar

All images by CBC News/YouTube

She thought the physical scars would be with her forever—until she met Basma Hameed. Hameed runs a tattoo shop, of sorts—but her tattoo artistry doesn't look like you'd expect. Basma is a paramedical tattoo specialist. Instead of tattooing vibrant, colorful designs, she uses special pigments that match the skin in order to conceal scars.

It looks like this:

woman in a hijab revealing scars

Hameed looking at Samira’s facial scarring.

All images by CBC News/YouTube

woman in hijab speaks with a medical professional

Hameed talking over the procedure.

All images by CBC News/YouTube

someone showing scarring on their hands

Visible scars and discoloration of the skin.

All images by CBC News/YouTube

gif of tattoo needle covering scarring on a hand

Tattooing the visible scarring on her hand

All images by CBC News/YouTube

With Basma's help, patients like Samira can see a dramatic decrease in their scar visibility and discoloration after a few treatments. She even offers free procedures for patients who are unable to afford treatment. That's because Basma knows firsthand just how life-changing her work can be for those coping with painful scars left behind.

Check out the video below to find out more about Hameed's practice, including how she became her very first patient.

This article originally appeared nine years ago.

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