London bus driver asks everyone to get on board with new 'Calm, Cushion, Call' campaign
Bus driver Vic Hamilton is hoping everyone will get on board with our new campaign - 'Calm, Cushion, Call' - to teach people how to help someone who is having an epileptic seizure.
The quick thinking dad narrowly averted disaster when his son, Sean, 28, had a seizure on an escalator on the London Underground.
Vic just managed to grab hold of Sean before he fell backwards on top of other commuters at the busy North Greenwich tube station.
Seizure Savvy
Now the London bus driver has joined up Epilepsy Society to launch a national seizure savvy campaign - 'Calm, Cushion, Call' - to make sure everyone knows what to do if they see someone having a seizure.
London bus driver Vic Hamilton spelling out his important first aid message on the buses
Bus driver Vic Hamilton and son Sean, spelling out their important first aid message on the buses. High res images available on request
Vic said: "When Sean had a seizure on the escalator it could have been disastrous for him and for other commuters behind him. I am Sean's carer - he can't go out by himself for fear of having a seizure and of course, I know what to do in an emergency. But the majority of people wouldn't know how to help someone and yet remembering the 3Cs - Calm, Cushion, Call - could help save the life of someone like my son.
"Stay calm and talk to the person, cushion their head to stop them from hurting themselves, and call for help or an ambulance if the seizure doesn't stop after five minutes."
Vic talks about Calm, Cushion, Call
Clare Pelham, Chief Executive at Epilepsy Society said recent research has shown that two out of three people with no experience of epilepsy would not feel confident of how to help someone during a seizure.
“Please don't go pink and stare out of the window in embarrassment" she said. "Please remember the three 'Cs' – Calm, Cushion, Call.
"We hope that people with epilepsy will be able to rely on the kindness of strangers who are seizure savvy. We also want to relieve the burden on our hard-pressed NHS. Not every seizure requires an ambulance."
Ben Franklin, Commercial Planning Manager at Stagecoach London said: "Our drivers are working with the public all the time and they are often called upon to deal with different medical emergencies. We shall be making sure this important seizure campaign is shared widely among our employees for the benefit of all our passengers."
More information
To find out more about how to assist someone during a seizure go to our Seizure savvy page.
Watch what happened when Sean Hamilton had a seizure on the London Underground.
Are you #seizuresavvy?
Remember the three C’s of epilepsy first aid and make sure you’re #seizuresavvy.