Sarah Gwaltney didn’t think about it happening on her street. But one evening, Suisun City police conducted a traffic stop in front of her house in Suisun City.

“I heard the sirens and they were coming right towards the house,” said Gwaltney’s 10-year-old daughter Noelle.

The police car lights were flashing across Noelle’s room.

Fearing what could happen to Noelle, Gwaltney sprang into action.

“I go running out there,” she said.

She told the officers that their flashing lights can trigger seizures for Noelle, who has photosensitive epilepsy.

“Officer (Xavier) Diaz dove into his car,” Gwaltney said.

They quickly turned off their lights and Noelle did not have a seizure.

Suisun City Police Sgt. Jeremy Crone also was on the traffic stop. He didn’t think too much of turning off their lights at the time.

“We promptly turned them off and she thanked us and that was pretty much it,” Crone said.

A few days later, he said he would learn just how much their simple act meant to the family.

“We didn’t realize the potential impact until she contacted us,” Crone said.

After the incident, Noelle and Sarah decided to visit the police department. Noelle brought coffee mugs for Diaz and Crone and gave a speech during their briefing.

“It was awesome,” Crone said. “She did a fantastic job.”

Noelle told them, “you saved many lives and one of those lives is me.”

She said she also explained her condition to the officers.

“It’s very important that I don’t have a seizure,” Noelle said in an interview with The Reporter. “I might die if I have a seizure.”

Noelle’s condition, which was diagnosed when she was 20 months old, is a constant worry for Noelle and her mom.

“We’re lucky if we can go three months” without a seizure, Gwaltney said.

The two are constantly thinking about Noelle’s triggers, which along with flashing or LED lights, include caffeine and cigarette smoke — something that can be hard to avoid.

One time she was in the ER for seven days, Gwaltney said. She was unconscious for three of them and at times had a temperature of 106, she said. When her temperature finally went down, the doctors couldn’t figure out what had happened, she added.

“I’m like a mystery box,” Noelle grinned.

In spite of the daily challenges, Noelle — a girl who loves roller coasters and going to the aquarium — is using her experience to raise awareness about her condition. The recent police department visit wasn’t her first time speaking about epilepsy.

In 2014, when her family was living in Oakley, Noelle noticed ribbons around town that were purple — the color for epilepsy awareness, Gwaltney said. But Noelle was disappointed to learn they were for another cause. She wanted to make sure the city also was holding events that acknowledge epilepsy.

“So I did,” she said.

She gave a speech at an Oakley City Council meeting. She asked if people would know how to respond if she had a seizure.

“Would you hold me down? Would you put something in my mouth?” she asked.

Many people in the audience didn’t know that you are not supposed to hold people down or put things in their mouths, Gwaltney said.

“Most people don’t know about epilepsy at all,” she said.

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, one in 26 people will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime.

“There is no cure,” Gwaltney said. But Noelle is fighting it, she added.

“Every single day,” said Noelle, who celebrated her 10th birthday Tuesday.

She didn’t think Noelle would make it this far, but in this most recent scare, the Suisun police did their part, Gwaltney said.

“They helped her make it to her 10th birthday,” she said.