There is another merit badge for being a celebrity in 2012. You have to save the life of someone. If you do not save the life of someone in 2012 to show that you care about someone more than yourself, you are subject to having your celebrity status revoked. So, Patrick Dempsey made it on the board early and now in the past week, two more celebrities have ensured they will maintain their celebrity status through the end of next year. First, in London, Dustin Hoffman stayed with a man who had a heart attack while jogging in Hyde park. The man had collapsed and Dustin rushed to his side and called 999 and waited by his side until the ambulance arrived. The man, Sam Dempster, thanked on his blog, medical staff and his new friend Dustin Hoffman.
Not to be outdone, Mila Kunis saved the life of a 50 year old man who collapsed in her house over the weekend. The man, who works for Mila began having a seizure and Mila had a friend called 911 and then turned the man's head to the side so he would not choke while another person stuffed a wallet in his mouth so he wouldn't swallow his tongue. So, to be fair, there were several people around who helped, but Mila has the name recognition and the one who will earn the merit badge.
Dustin Hoffman has always been known for doing good deeds. He never seeks publicity for it either.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember years ago, all the Tom Cruise saved this guy and that guy and he saved Nicole while they were hiking, etc.? It was a pretty regular thing.
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha, Mila: they stuffed a wallet in his mouth.......wish someone would shove one in mine......I’d run like Hell!
ReplyDeleteYes, Elizabeth, I remember Superman Cruise was saving lives all over Metropolis. There was always someone going to the tabs and telling them about the saviour. They never published their names though...hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteMy son is at an increased risk of having seizures and I was told to never stick anything in his mouth if he had a seizure. The doctor said the tongue thing is a myth and sticking something in his mouth would be more dangerous and could cause him to choke.
ReplyDeleteTwriggy, you're right. My daughter is epileptic and you NEVER stick anything in their mouth while seizing because it can (and does) impede breathing.
ReplyDeleteAll you should do is make sure they're lying down somewhere safe (clear furniture, etc. out of the way, if necessary), so they don't get hurt, and turn their head to the side so, if they vomit, they don't choke.
Also, it's impossible to swallow your tongue.
Mary- thanks, so good to know! Should you also let them move around freely, or hold them down?
ReplyDeleteAt least Mila did the right thing by getting him on the ground and turning his head the right way; it sounds as if he's going to be OK, thankfully, but not putting anything in a seizing person's mouth really needs to be put out there much more than it is, since most people believe that's still what you should do.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Dustin & Mila did what they did because they're basically good people who help those who need it and do the right thing, not because they want the publicity. *side-eye to certain other celebs*
While I like Dustin & Mila, why are we getting all excited that these celebrities acted like normal human beings seeing another human being in distress? These actions are performed by "nobodies" every day without notice. How badly do these people need publicity?
ReplyDeleteLinnea, let them go freely. Holding them down could injure you both.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone's interested, here's a link that explains in better detail what to do if you're ever in Mila's situation:http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/aboutepilepsy/firstaid/index.cfm
Good for Dustin and Mila. Yeah, the swallowing your tongue thing is a myth. You can't swallow your tongue, but I just learned that from a doctor. As someone said, that kind of info should be made more public. But Mila and her friends still thought they were doing the right thing, so good on them.
ReplyDeleteYa know, Gerard Butler did that long before it was fashionable. Just sayin'. :-D
ReplyDeleteI knew someone who had epilectic seizures and when she was a kid, she had a seizure by the pool. Someone shoved a pool toy in her mouth thinking it would prevent her from swallowing her tongue, but instead, it pushed her tongue in the way of her molars and so during the seizure, she was clamping down on her tongue repeatedly with full force. It damaged her tongue and forever impaired her speech so she can't anunciate her words. She also said it's gross that they shoved the pool toy 'cause you don't know where it was or what bacteria was on it before they shoved it in her mouth.
ReplyDeleteI was told to let them freely seize, but make sure they don't smack their heads on anything hard (but don't hold it down either or it would damage their neck/spine).
Several years ago, Dustin Hoffman helped someone on the beach in front of his house. The man was having an anaphylactic attack after being stung by a bee. Hoffman ran back to his house to grab the Benadryl (apparently someone in his household shares the allergy) and saved the guy's life.
ReplyDeleteWe shouldn't celebrate people's good deeds because they are celebrities, but neither should we denigrate them just because they're celebrities.
it is amazing how old wives tales are still considered medical fact. Wallet in the mouth? oh vey.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Dustin Hoffman story is about the gold necklace.
ReplyDeleteThere was a woman looking at a very expensive gold necklace at a high-end department store, and Dustin told her she should get it. She said she couldn't afford it, but thanked him for the compliment. Dustin nodded and got his purchase.
When the woman was going to leave, the sales' clerk gave her the necklace she had been admiring. Dustin had brought it for her. The sale's clerk was the one who told the story.
How could you forget The Gosling saving that woman from getting hit by a car?! As if anyone needed any more proof that Enty is NOT a woman!
ReplyDelete^I was just thinking that! That Gosling. ;)
ReplyDelete@Twriggy/MSMcG - Good info. Thanks for sharing.