I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Easter Sunday; and a belated Happy Passover to our Jewish friends.
Something crazy happened in our family at Easter mass yesterday. The five of us went to the 9am mass. We got there 15 minutes early because we knew that it would be extra crowded. I thought that was going to be early enough to get a seat, but I was wrong. We wound up standing along the windows toward the front of the church. Yates, our eldest, was in the lead, followed by my husband Doug, our youngest, Thatcher, me, and our daughter Yardley. They are 16, 12, and 14 respectively.
Feeling Faint
We made it to the homily without issue. The priest was giving a very nice homily about the resurrection, of course, but it was more than that. It was all about the proof. How do we know Jesus was resurrected? As you may know because you listen to The Megyn Kelly Show, I have been very into that ever since Charlie Kirk died. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on to educate myself on the topic. So, the homily was right in my wheelhouse and I was very into it.
In the middle of the priest speaking, Yardley tapped me and told me to tell Thatcher and Yates to bend their knees. I didn’t know why she was saying that. I figured it was just to stay comfortable. So, I was like, ‘Honey, listen to this; this is important’ because it was right in the middle of the homily.
Well, within a minute or two of the priest finishing his homily, Thatcher turned around and said, ‘Mom, I feel nauseous.’ I told Doug and the older two I was going to take him outside and we turned to walk down what was a very crowded aisle. Thatcher was walking really slow. I had my hands on his shoulders, and I was worried he was going to throw up in the church so I asked him if he could walk a little faster. He didn’t respond, so I kind of peeked around to look at his face and he did not look good. He was ashen. And just as I was realizing he didn’t look good, he started to go down. He kind of crumbled. It was a slow-motion faint.
I grabbed him, and there was a nice man at the end of the pew who reached out to grab him as well so that he didn’t have a hard fall. We laid him down where I had his head and Doug, who at this point had come over to us, put his feet up. Everyone was so nice, and it was just sort of a waiting game until he came to. It felt like it was a minute or so until he opened his eyes and sat up slowly. As soon as I realized he totally was okay, it took everything in me not to cry out, ‘He is risen.’ I didn’t do it. It probably wouldn’t have been appropriate and we had already been disruptive enough, but the thought occurred to me.
Anyway, we got him up and walked him out. As soon as we got outside into the fresh air, he was fine. Obviously, his vasovagal situation resolved. We go between two different parishes depending on our schedule and my husband joked that we could still make the 9:45am mass at the other church. We did not, so I don’t think we technically fulfilled our Sunday obligation because we did not receive communion. But we had a good reason. I think God understood.
The Diagnosis
My daughter reminded me that I should have told him to bend his knees like she suggested. And in my research the last 24 hours, I have learned that she was correct. I guess this common in situations where kids are standing for a long time. Yardley got the advice from her middle school principal, who told them a story about a girl in the choir passing out while on the top riser. She got hurt, so she always reminded the girls bend their knees when they were standing up straight for a long time.
I asked AI this morning if it it is common for people to pass out when standing for a long time with locked knees, and the answer is yes, it is actually pretty common – especially in kids and teenagers. It said that what I was describing is the classic setup for a brief fainting episode called vasovagal syncope.
It apparently happens when someone stands for a long time and doesn’t shift their weight or move because it reduces the normal muscle pumping action in the legs that helps blood return to the heart. This can lead to blood pooling in the legs, a temporary drop in blood pressure, reduced blood flow to the brain, and fainting. Kids and teens are especially prone because their nervous systems are a bit more reactive, and they may not recognize the early warning signs. Most kids feel something like dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, sweating, tunnel vision first. Thatcher told me later that he had ringing in the ears.
In any event, he was fine. AI agreed with Yardley that a good way to prevent this from happening is to keep a slight bend in the knees and shift your weight or subtly move your legs. Also, stay hydrated and eat beforehand. Indeed, my son had skipped breakfast yesterday morning.
It was a crazy situation, but good to know for us and for other parents out there. My daughter was right. What the priest was saying was important, but, as it so happened this particular Sunday morning, what my daughter was saying to me was more important for my particular family. I wish I had listened. Fortunately, he was fine, and we had a very nice Easter together as the five of us.
You can check out Megyn’s full analysis by tuning in to episode 1,289 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.