Minnesota Couple Shares Warning After Medical Emergency At Las Vegas Sphere

When Brian and Michelle Albin of Minnesota visited Las Vegas last week for a quick trip to see Kenny Chesney at the Sphere, they didn’t realize their trip would take a terrifying turn. Because of the experience, they want to warn others of the possible medical issue that can affect anyone who attends a show at the Sphere. 

What first appeared to be Brian, 54, maybe having a heart attack, turned out to be seizures caused by the lights and movement on the massive screen inside the Sphere. And when the couple was told by hospital staff that this isn’t an isolated incident, they decided to take their story to TikTok in the hopes of warning others. 

Visiting Sin City to see Chesney’s show at the Sphere for Michelle’s birthday, things were going as planned until eight songs into the concert. 

“He was on his second beer and we were just talking. We were just Facetiming a friend and all of a sudden I felt him kind of bump up next to me. I could feel he was kind of shaking and I turned around and his head was straight back and his body was vibrating, shaking. He fell towards me and I caught him and was trying to get him to the ground,” Michelle told The Blast. 

“His face was completely white and his eyes had rolled into the back of his head but his eyes were still kind of open so you just see the whites of his eyes. People around me were trying to help me get him to the floor.” 

Michelle, a dentist, is trained in advanced cardiac life support so she attempted to find a pulse. She did, but said it was really faint, which led her to think maybe he was having a heart attack. 

Being in seats up near the stage, many people helping Michelle out tried to get Chesney’s attention in the hopes of getting EMTs to the area quickly because Brian was unconscious and laying on the ground for about three to five minutes at this point. 

"At the time that he collapsed, we were trying to figure out what time that was, and I'm pretty sure it was a time in the show where it looked like a bunch of TVs, like, thousands and thousands of TVs that were blinking white. And some red and some black, and then changing images that were on the TV, and that, it was this kind of red, black, and white, and, like, flashing a ton," Michelle told The Blast. "And it wasn't really that far into the song. I mean, it was maybe five seconds into it, and he was just gone. It was the start of his eighth song, so we saw seven of the 27 songs, it was very early."

Once the EMTs arrived, the crowd helped get Brian off the ground and into a wheelchair to get him the help he needed. 

“When we were leaving the venue and going down that hallway, about halfway down the hallway, I looked at him and saw his eyes were rolled back into his head again and that’s when I was like we got to hurry up, he needs help, we’re losing him,” Michelle explained. “By the time the ambulance got the gurney in there, he was finally coherent enough to be able to at least know what was happening.”

His vision was not normal, blood pressure was really low, as well as his pulse. 

“It was honestly the most traumatic event in my life,” she said. “The reason I posted anything [on TikTok} is because when we got to the emergency room at Sunrise, the emergency room doctor mentioned to us that they see this on average five to seven times a week, specifically from people coming from the Sphere.”

Brian's wife, Michelle, shared a short clip of the scary experience on TikTok in the hopes of getting the word out about the possibility of a medical issue while at a show at Sphere.

"The overwhelming lights, video, strobes etc inside the Sphere are inducing PHOTOSENSITIVE SEIZURES. My husband has no history of seizures but collapsed from a seizure while we were at the Kenny Chesney show at Sphere," she wrote in the caption.

"He was in and out of seizing/consciousness for over 35 minutes. As he was being treated in the ER the doctor told us they are seeing this happen to 5-7 people PER WEEK on average & he’s confused as to why it’s not being reported on and/or shared more on socials. Please share so more people can be informed."

The video on TikTok is getting attention by many people who are sharing their thoughts and experiences in the comment section.

"We were in front of you and I’m so thankful he is ok. That was so scary. We thought of you guys all night," one person wrote. Michelle responded, "Thank you! So grateful for the people around us that helped us. By the time they got him into the back his bp was 50’s/20’s and heart rate was 28 beats/minute. The doctor said we need to get him out of here we don’t have what we need to help him. So that’s the other side of this story. Why have med triage if you don’t stock it w what you might need. Thank you for reaching out and for your thoughts."

Another person added, "I learned at the sphere I had vertigo. Ended up in the sensory room." One other viewer shared, "I left with a horrible migraine that ruined my entire next day in Vegas. I do not recommend."

While there is a warning on Sphere's website, Brian never had any similar issues in the past, so it wasn't a concern.

"Events at Sphere are immersive experiences that, depending on the event, may include elements such as seat haptics, movement sensations, flashing lights, intense lighting, visual effects, loud noises, and atmospheric simulations including fog, scent and wind. Such elements may aggravate certain medical or physical conditions, and guests should take into consideration if they have a history of discomfort or physical symptoms when experiencing these elements. If you have any concerns and/or are pregnant, you should consult with your physician prior to attending an immersive experience," the website reads.

"There are two designated Sensory Rooms located on levels 2 and 6.Please see your nearest guest experience representative for additional assistance."

Michelle pointed out that even reading the warning ahead of time, there's nothing that says a "perfectly healthy human being with no health history of seizures" can possibly experience one due to the experience. And had she read that warning, she said they still would have gone, but it could have helped her figure out what was wrong with Brian sooner since she immediately assumed heart attack.