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Shelby Kane at her Avon High School Graduation
By Kristen Kutina
Sunday, May 30 was a day that 18-year-old Shelby Kane of Avon looked forward to her entire life. That afternoon, she was set to participate in her Avon High School graduation ceremony, but a seizure threatened to derail her plans.
A Seizure, Out of the Blue
That morning was a busy one for Shelby – getting dressed, having her hair done and prepping for photos. The youngest of four children, Shelby had a history of seizures, but it had been more than a decade since her last one.
Seemingly out of the blue, Shelby began talking very slowly and crying, and then fell to the ground, seizing.
“We’re not sure what trigged the seizure,” said Robin Kane, Shelby’s mother. “But it may have been the excitement building up to the graduation ceremony.”
9-1-1 was called, and the Kane family requested that Shelby be taken to University Hospitals St. John Medical Center, where Shelby was born and had been treated more than 10 years ago for a seizure.
Racing Against the Clock
“Upon arrival, Shelby was alert and talking and had stable vitals,” said Ashley Spilker, RN, one of the nurses in the UH St. John emergency department (ED) who cared for Shelby. “A seizure can be scary for anyone, but Shelby had heightened fear and anxiety. As I was talking with her to help her calm down, I noticed her beautiful dress and hair, and that’s when I found out it was her graduation day. I knew then that we were going to get her to the ceremony on time or we were going to have a ceremony for her right there in the ED.”
Carla O’Day, MD, Kaylinn Dokken, DO, Ashley and team began working quickly to assess Shelby in hopes of her being able to make it to the ceremony, which was set to begin in less than two hours. While that was going on, Samantha Loop, LPN, went to a nearby grocery store to purchase a cake, flowers, balloons and a card for Shelby.
“After a CT scan of Shelby’s brain and a blood panel came back normal, we began discussing with her parents the option to allow Shelby to attend the graduation ceremony,” said Dr. O’Day. “With anti-seizure medication, and the eyes of her family on her constantly, we felt comfortable releasing Shelby, and her parents agreed.”
Shelby “Graduates” from the ED
Given the green light to attend her graduation ceremony, one of Shelby’s siblings brought her cap and gown to the hospital, and Ashley began to help her get dressed. Sensing that Shelby was still a bit anxious, Ashley began singing a song from one of Shelby’s favorite groups, Rascal Flatts, as she removed her IV. Shelby sang along.
“Ashley and the entire staff were wonderful with Shelby,” said Robin. “A seizure is an experience you never want to go through, but the UH St. John staff were all rock stars.”
When it was time for Shelby to be discharged, about a dozen staff members lined the hallway as Shelby walked through the “graduation” line while “Pomp and Circumstance” played in the background. Tears of joy were shed as Shelby beamed. “I know it will be one of the most memorable moments of my career,” said Ashley.
Making it to the Ceremony on Time
Shelby made it to Avon High School just in time. Dr. O’Day, whose daughter is a cross-country coach at Avon Middle School, shared a photo as Shelby received her diploma.
“Everything lined up perfectly for us to be able to treat Shelby and discharge her quickly – a true team effort,” said Dr. O’Day. “It was a special day for Shelby and in turn, it was a special day for us.”
