Ken Jeong was a hero at Stand Up Live Comedy Club in Phoenix on Saturday night. The one-time physician (who also played one on TV) came to a woman’s aid when he realized that he wasn’t being heckled from the third row — someone was having a medical emergency. According to eyewitnesses that relayed their story to the Associated Press, Jeong rushed off the stage to give a woman suffering from a seizure room to recover while another EMT in the crowd worked with him to make her comfortable.
Heather Holmberg, a Phoenix native who was in the crowd at the time, described the scene to USA Today:
“It’s a wonderful story. It was such perfect timing: Ken just jumped from the stage to help. He couldn’t see what was going on with the lights. He thought he was being heckled. He was playing with them from the stage for a second and it was like, ‘No, no, no. We need you!’ He realized there was an issue, and he came over. It was a moment where time stands still. Someone was having a crisis. There was a hush over the room.”
Jeong stayed with the woman-in-need until an ambulance arrived, and then he resumed his set, like a true comedy professional and former physician would.
@kenjeong at Stand Up Live! A woman had a medical emergency during the show. Ken thinks its heckling, when people are asking for his help. He jumps off stage to assist. An EMT helped, too. Then on with the show! Great night! He is gracious and grateful…AND flipping funny! pic.twitter.com/G0nMWb5wMM
— Heather S Holmberg (@TippedHatEnt) May 6, 2018
Here’s Shannon Hernandez, the woman who had the seizure, sliding into the comments:
intractable epilepsy is scary to live with …thank you gentleman
— Shannon hernandez (@Shannon13848448) May 7, 2018
It’s a reminder that Jeong is more than just the subject of a hilarious .gif or one of the best characters on Community — the guy is compassionate, helpful, and knows his set so well a medical crisis can barely throw him off.
