“A little kindness goes a long way.”
A nursing student in Cebu expressed gratitude for the praises she received after saving a man who collapsed on the street due to heat stroke.
Twenty-one-year-old Julia Baguio of the University of Cebu-Banilad took to Facebook to thank everyone who has been showering her with messages of appreciation and support for her act of kindness on April 28, Friday.
The nursing student recounted that she and her boyfriend were walking home on that fateful day in Barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City when she saw the man turn stiff and convulsed.
He then fell face-first on the concrete road. His mouth also started frothing, Julia told Sugbo.ph. The incident happened in front of the Amores Building.
She sprang into action and pleaded for the bystanders to call an ambulance while she began to perform first-aid.
According to Julia, people kept telling her to leave the man since he was always experiencing such symptoms. She refused to leave him and continued to help.
Some bystanders also uploaded photos of the incident, which made the student’s act go viral on social media.
Julia said she did not expect that the incident would be captured.
“THANK YOU, EVERYONE (folded hands emoji),” she wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, May 2.
“I cannot express my warmest appreciation to each one of you for appreciating and being proud of the act of kindness that I did last Friday, but I thank you all for the great messages that I have received from people who are my family, friends, and even strangers,” Julia added.
“I think that you all think that it was ‘HEROIC’ to save someone’s life but for me, it should be something that we should think [of] as something we are supposed to do because a little act of kindness could go a long way,” the nursing student continued.
“It might be my time to show compassion and empathy towards people who needed a helping [hand] when they couldn’t no longer stand on their own, but your hands are not different from mine because if we all will work hand in hand, [show] compassion and empathy even if It’s just a normal day, we all could make it happen,” Julia further said.
She also thanked a news outlet for sharing her experience as an act that she hopes “could inspire” others to help people as well.
What is a heat stroke?
The health department defines a heat stroke as the “most severe form of heat illness when the body overheats and cannot cool down.”
“The body cannot take off the excessive heat by sweating because of dehydration and/or humid environment,” it added.
Causes are hot and humid weather, partaking in vigorous exercise in hot weather, dehydration, and too much direct exposure to the sun.
Signs include warm, flushed skin, faintness, dizziness, weakness, headache, high fever, rapid heartbeat, convulsion and unconsciousness.
According to the Department of Health, this can be prevented by limiting the amount of time spent outdoors, drinking plenty of water, avoiding tea, coffee, soda and alcohol, and scheduling heavy-duty activities for the beginning and end of the day when it’s cooler.
The public is also advised to wear loose and/or light-colored clothing as much as possible.
Last week, the state weather bureau issued an El Niño Alert, indicating a high chance that the weather phenomenon associated with dry spells and drought will develop within the next two months.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said that El Niño increases the likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions, which could result in dry spells and droughts in some areas of the Philippines.
However, above-normal rain during the southwest monsoon or “habagat” season may also be expected in the country’s western portion.
