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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Jess Molyneux

Mum collapses outside Asda and wakes up to see stranger on her phone

A Merseyside mum has thanked two kind strangers who rushed to help her after she had a seizure outside Asda.

On Tuesday, at around 5.30pm, Lesley Hargreaves, 39, from St Helens returned to her local Asda branch to pick up some items she had forgotten to buy earlier that day with her son.

The mum-of-two was leaving the shop and began walking up the road to head home when she started having a seizure.

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Lesley said she has suffered with seizures since the birth of her first child, but in recent days they have become "worse" and more frequent.

When she "came around," Lesley said she was reassured and looked after by two strangers who she now wishes to thank.

Lesley told the ECHO: "I was leaving Asda with my bag of shopping and was walking up the road when it happened.

"Only an hour or two before I'd been to Asda with my son doing a big shop and had drove home. When I got back I realised we were missing some bits so decided to walk back as it’s not too far.

"Next thing I know I was coming around with these two ladies there. One lady was ringing the ambulance, she was speaking to paramedics and answering questions, monitoring my breathing.

"The other had my phone and was ringing my husband to come and collect me.

"I’ve suffered with seizures for about nine years now, since I had my first child, but lately this week has been worse.

"Last Thursday I had three seizures in succession at home and then yesterday, so that’s four in the last seven days, so I've rang the doctor today."

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Lesley said she is a bit sore after her fall but feeling much better and that she wishes she had got the names of the ladies who helped her.

She described both women as blonde and around her age, one being maybe slightly older. Lesley said she remembers one wearing comfy, jogger clothing and the other in casual jeans and a t-shirt.

Lesley said: "The ladies who found me were really patient, asking me questions like did I remember my name and date of birth. The seizures, it’s like a computer shutting down and rebooting and the coming back on.

"I felt a bit bad because one of the ladies was late picking her kids up but wanted to stay with me until my husband came.

"They were very good at making me feel at ease and describing what happened and what they had seen. Quite quickly I felt comfortable with them."

Lesley said this is the first time a seizure has happened in public when she's been alone, as she usually goes out with her husband or children.

She said she often worries about it happening if she's with her two young sons or alone, but that the women who helped her have "given her the confidence" to believe she'll be ok if that does happen again.

Lesley said: "Those two ladies were the main people but people were asking do I need anything, staff were coming out of Asda and it was good to know people do want to help you.

Have you witnessed a kind gesture on Merseyside? Let us know in the comments section.

"I’d like to thank them for giving me the confidence to believe I can go out on my own or with my son knowing people are there to help and will be there to help. That’s given me the belief now.

"I believe other people will do the same and I didn't believe that in the past.

"I would just like to get the message out about epilepsy and to tell people not to be afraid of seeing someone fitting. The two ladies who helped me have shown me that I can be around strangers alone."

Posting to a local Facebook group, Lesley said: "Thank you so much to the wonderful ladies who helped me outside Asda today when I had a seizure. Unfortunately, I didn't get their names but they were amazing, looking after me while waiting for my husband."

For more news from St Helens Live, like our Facebook page here

One person commented: "Oh bless you hope your ok xx"

Another said: "Hope you're ok love get some rest xx"

And another posted: "I hope they see this. Hope you are feeling better xx"

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