Faithful Friday: Gameplay stops for a moment on “Survivor” to help autism contestant
by: Debbie Waltz
With Autism Awareness Month fast approaching, I think it’s appropriate for me to highlight a pause in gameplay on “Survivor” to help another contestant through an episode. For Eva Erickson, this is just a part of life. She has autism, According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. It is important to understand that this disorder’s impact is not uniform; it often affects people in diverse and distinct ways, leading to a wide range of experiences and outcomes.
In the immunity challenge, Erickson’s frustration mounted as she struggled, becoming overstimulated and ultimately being the last contestant to successfully maneuver a ball through a table maze, a task that only required manually tilting the table left or right.Though she finished and won immunity for tribe, it was obvious she needed help. This is when Jeff suggested Joe step in. You see, they had been former tribe mates before the producers switched up the game and separated them into different teams by a random number draw. Knowing that she might have an episode during the game, she confided in Joe about her autism and what to do if something like this ever occurred.
His background as a firefighter instantly triggered his training, allowing him to swiftly assess the situation and, drawing upon the crucial instructions she’d provided, focus her attention on controlled breathing and staying grounded in the present moment. After several intense moments, she eventually came out of and shared her story with everyone present.
Receiving a devastating diagnosis at a young age, her parents remained optimistic and dedicated to her care, even when doctors painted a bleak picture of her future. They exhausted all possible treatments in their quest to enable their autistic child to successfully interact with others and the wider world. In her “5 Minutes Of Fame” she urges others to step away from the game and acknowledge her challenge. She hopes her tribe will accept her for who she is, understanding that while her autism is a constant presence in her life, it doesn’t represent a hurdle she needs to conquer or a challenge that defines her.
For more of this amazing story, see YouTube’s below. The first is the actual footage used in the episode. The second is an interview with Access Hollywood after the fact.