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A Mother Pushes To Pass 'Haley's Law' To Train Teachers In Seizure Awareness

PITTSBURGH (KDKA)-- Haley Delo is a fun-loving five-year-old who likes to play in her garden, ride her bike and read books with her mom.

"She was a perfectly healthy child, and just like that, she was happy. Running around all the time. Nothing ever indicated anything, "said Victoria Delo, Haley's mother.

But that changed when Haley's mom, Victoria Delo, got a call from her daycare back in June.

Haley was taking a nap and the staff couldn't wake her up. She was four at the time.

"She was completely stiff and she had vomited in her sleep.">

The daycare staff called 911, and the next week, Haley saw a neurologist.

She had a seizure.

In September, the now five-year-old kindergarten student had another seizure in gym class at Cheswick Christian Academy.

After going through the worry for a second time, Victoria knew she had to do something, so she called local state representative Brandon Markosek.

"The one thing that really touched me is making sure that our students are safe in school," said Markosek.

Victoria proposed to Markosek Haley's Law-- a bill that would make it mandatory for teachers in the state of Pennsylvania to be trained on how to handle a seizure in school.

"This is a bill that can save children's lives," said Markosek.

Markosek says the bill is currently being drafted. He says a formal bill will go to a committee in the statehouse later this month.

"In our statehouse, it has to pass the house and it has to go to the senate so this could be a long process."

If the bill passes, Markosek says teachers in public schools would have to take a course offered by the Epilepsy Foundation.

Teachers would have to go through a one-hour training session per year.

The foundation says classes would be offered in-person and online and both are free to the state.

The legislation would also establish procedures by which parents could give a school a physician-approved seizure management and treatment plan.

"Seizure first aid is simple if you know what you're doing but unfortunately there are a lot of misconceptions out there. Like that you should put something in someone's mouth if you have a seizure which can cause more damage," said Abbey Roudebush of the Epilepsy Foundation.

Right now-- Texas, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky have passed similar safe school laws.

Brandon Markosek says there are other states in the process of developing a similar bill. He's confident it will pass.

"This bill I think will gain bipartisan support because it crosses party lines."

While Haley is prepared with this medical alert bracelet for whatever comes her way her main focus is to keep on playing.

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