Walter Payton’s family searches for strangers who helped grandson during seizure on Las Vegas Strip
By Shawna Khalafi
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LAS VEGAS, Nevada (KVVU) — A father’s call for help was answered by two strangers who happened to be nearby when his 11-year-old son started having a seizure inside a McDonald’s on the Las Vegas Strip.
“I started screaming just ‘I need help! Call 911!’” said Jarrett Payton, the son of NFL legend Walter Payton. “And then so did my daughter, and about five seconds later, this lady came around the corner giving me direction on what to do.”
A day of sightseeing and playing arcade games turned into a medical emergency for the Payton family on their trip to Las Vegas.
Jarrett Payton was with his daughter and 11-year-old son, Jaden, on the Strip last Monday.
Soon after walking into a McDonald’s outside Circus Circus, Jaden suffered a seizure.
“He just was staring into space, and he let out this weird sound, and his body started shaking,” said Jarrett. “I started screaming just ‘I need help! Call 911!’ And then so did my daughter, and about five seconds later, this lady came around the corner giving me direction on what to do.”
Two strangers in the restaurant quickly stepped in. One woman helped lay Jaden safely on the floor, while a man brought him towels and ice.
Jarrett said they put him at ease in a situation where he felt truly helpless as a father.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” said Jarrett. “Thank you for being who you are. Thank you for caring for others. And thank you for really just being there in the moment.”
Jarrett said his son feels the same gratitude for the two kind strangers who came to his aid that day.
“It’s changed his life. It’s changed our lives, so I just want to let them know how grateful we are and just to let them know there’s always going to be a bond there.”
Now, the Payton family is determined to find the two heroes and thank them personally.
“Having the conversation with my son afterward about how lucky he is and how it’s amazing that we have great people in this world, he looked at me and said, ‘Dad, I just want to thank them.’”
Jarrett also wants to encourage other parents to learn the protocols for what to do during a seizure, so every family can be prepared just in case.
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