Child with epilepsy at a scout camp, age 10
An epileptic child in scouting means twenty hours away from a doctor's office, four kilometers from the parking lot, and a 22-year-old troop leader who will be handling their first seizure ever, if it comes to that. The laminated card in the camping backpack, with the QR code on the back: emergency protocol, ambulance service numbers, parent contacts, details on the emergency medication.
This case applies to epileptic children on stabilized treatment, enrolled in scouting (Scouts et Guides de France, Scouts unitaires de France, and similar organizations), taking part in multi-day camps.
The moment as it happened
The Scouts et Guides de France summer camp, Orleans forest, day 4. The troop leader (23 years old, studying for a degree in sports science) is woken at 4:30 am by a teenager: "Leo is having a seizure." She reaches the tent. Leo is convulsing, limbs rigid, breathing labored, saliva at the corner of his mouth.
She takes out the laminated card she has kept in her first-aid kit since the start of camp, handed over by the parents on arrival. She scans the QR code by flashlight. She reads: Leo has tonic-clonic epilepsy treated with Lamotrigine 200 mg, his seizures last 3 minutes on average, followed by a 30-minute postictal sleep, she should time the seizure, protect his head, put nothing in his mouth, call emergency medical services (SAMU) if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes or if a second one occurs within 30 minutes, and call the parents in every case.
The seizure lasts 3 minutes 40 seconds. She calls the parents at 4:34 am. Leo falls back asleep. The troop leader stays with him until 5:15 am in the tent. At 8 am Leo has breakfast, doesn't remember the seizure, and goes on with his day. The troop leader is exhausted but she did the right thing.
- You write it
- The QR is in place
- The reader scans
- Understood, without explaining again
Where to place the QR code for this case
A laminated card handed to the troop leader on arrival day, with a brief explanation given face to face. The card stays in the staff's first-aid kit, accessible around the clock to the whole leadership team.
Duplicate it in the child's own camping backpack, inner pocket, in a waterproof zip-lock bag. Duplicate it in the troop's medical kit (along with the emergency medication, if prescribed: Buccolam).
Avoid PDF files sent by email ahead of time: at 4:30 am in a forest, no one is going to check their inbox. Avoid NFC tags: network coverage is unreliable in mountains or forests.
For long hikes (more than 3 hours of walking), the troop leader can also carry a laminated copy in a chest pocket, avoiding the need to open the backpack in case of a seizure on the trail.
Pre-written text templates
The three templates below are written by the parents with the approval of the child's neurologist. The medical vocabulary is precise, with each term immediately followed by a concrete action.
For the "Introduction" section
"Leo, 12 years old, has been a scout with the 3rd Orleans troop for 2 years. Generalized tonic-clonic epilepsy diagnosed at age 8. On Lamotrigine 200 mg morning and evening, must not be missed. His seizures last 3 minutes on average, followed by a 30-minute postictal sleep. Over the past 6 months, about one seizure every 3 months."
For the "How to help" section
"You can: time the seizure (start time, duration), put him in the recovery position, protect his head with rolled-up clothing, call emergency medical services (SAMU, 15) if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes or if a second one occurs within 30 minutes, call his parents in every case, let him sleep for 30 minutes after the seizure without trying to talk to him."
For the "What to avoid" section
"To avoid: putting anything in his mouth (choking risk), holding him down by force (injuries), giving him something to drink during the postictal sleep (choking risk), forgetting to let us know even if the seizure is brief (every seizure matters to the neurologist), speaking loudly to him right after the seizure (it worsens the fatigue)."
Conditions related to this case
This case is built around generalized tonic-clonic epilepsy at scout camp. It also applies to focal epilepsy (seizures that are visible or not), childhood absence seizures (less dramatic but still requiring careful timing), and drug-resistant epilepsy with emergency medication (Buccolam) that requires a specific protocol.
Similar cases
Three other cases where the QR code complements a PAI (an individualized health plan for children with medical needs, in France) with a protocol usable out in nature, beyond the reach of the family doctor.
The youth worker includes the child in group games by anticipating risky moments (transitions, waiting times), without punishing restlessnes…
View the case Teen with social anxiety at summer camp, age 12 Reader: Camp director, youth workerThe camp staff identify risky moments (large groups, noisy evening activities) and offer discreet ways to step back without stigmatizing the…
View the case Deaf child in a sports club, age 9 Reader: Sports coachThe coach adjusts instructions (visual cues, gestures, signaling exercises) so the child isn't left out from missing a spoken request.
View the caseThis situation is something you should not have to replay with every new person.
Every new school year, every new substitute, every appointment: you have to start all over again. myHandiQR puts an end to that. You write it once. You will no longer start from scratch at every meeting.