I started watching Survivor three seasons ago on a whim. Some friends I don’t see often asked me to join their online fantasy Survivor pool. I figured it’d be a fun way to connect. But I’ll be honest – I had low expectations.
I first watched the veteran reality show in the early days when Richard Hatch and other colorful personalities made it a hit. I grew weary, though, of the endless drama between the players. What intrigued me most was how these people physically survived for weeks in a remote location with few resources, but those details took a backseat to the social game in the broadcast. So, I stopped tuning in. It just wasn’t my kind of show, I thought.
A recent episode just proved me wrong.
Setting the Stage
Survivor pits players of all ages and walks of life against each other – first in tribes and then individually – to compete over 26 days on a remote island in Fiji for the ultimate prize of $1 MILLION. That’s life-changing money. The stakes are high.
In the current Season 48, players Eva Erickson (a young East Coast grad student) and Joe Hunter (a West Coast dad and fire captain) started their Survivor journey together in the Lagi tribe. They quickly formed a close bond, with Eva revealing to Joe in confidence that she has autism.
Eva didn’t want her autism to be seen as a weakness but wanted someone out there in the middle of nowhere to know what to do if she needed help. In her vulnerable moment, Joe “made a decision” that he wouldn’t let Eva down, no matter what.
The Game Challenge
By day 11, tribal shifts put Eva and Joe on different teams. At a difficult immunity challenge, despite her muscular physique and usual steadiness, Eva struggled with an intricate table ball balance skill. The tribe who finished last would send one player home. As one of just two players left, Eva felt intense pressure.
Somehow, with her body shaking and tears streaming down her face, Eva completed the challenge and won immunity for her team. But that’s not the story that made headlines.
The Actual Challenge
As the players celebrated their win, Eva appeared more agitated, not less. It looked like she was having a panic attack, loudly gasping for breath and still crying and shaking. Her teammates tried to comfort her but it wasn’t working.
Show host Jeff Probst noticed Joe’s helpless fixation on Eva’s struggle from the next tribe over. Jeff asked Joe if he wanted to go comfort Eva. Joe immediately rushed to Eva and wrapped her in a bear hug – the exact remedy she told him she’d need if this ever happened. He clasped her hands at chest level and reassured her that she was safe. A few long hugs and deep breaths later, Eva’s body finally calmed down and they returned to their respective tribes.
But not before their bond and Eva’s autism had been revealed in what was still a high stakes game of social strategy.
What’s at Stake
In front of everyone, Jeff asked Joe if he worried his actions could compromise his game plan since others now knew of his closeness to a former tribemate. But that didn’t matter to Joe. Instead, he said it was more important to show his kids the person they should be when somebody else is in need, regardless of how it affects him.
If doing right by Eva weakened his game, so be it. He’d want someone to treat his own daughter the same way. It’s “who I am.”
The Big Reveal
A grateful Eva went on to finally explain to the others that she has autism. She experiences “episodes” when her body gets overstimulated and she “loses control” of herself. She held it together long enough to complete the immunity challenge, but then the pressure overwhelmed her body and caused the physical episode everyone witnessed.
In the end, though, Eva clarified that autism isn’t a “roadblock to success. It’s not something to work around. It’s just part of who I am.”
By then, there wasn’t a dry eye on the beach or watching from back home.
Being Real
Doctors predicted early on that Eva would never live independently, that she’d never hold a job. But instead of giving up on her, Eva’s parents doubled down. They got her the treatment she needed and she was able to be put in school and mainstreamed.
Eva was taught to ask for and receive the help she needs, without feeling ashamed. With that support and mindset, Eva has become a confident, collegiate-level hockey player and a grad student in engineering at Brown University. She lives an incredibly full life.
All because people believed in her. All because she was allowed – encouraged even – to be fully and proudly herself.
When we put down our swords and let down our guard, humanity can be so beautiful.
Well done, Eva and Joe. Well done, Survivor.
You’ve got me back.
To watch the powerful moment between Joe and Eva on the beach in Fiji, click here!
(Photo by Robert Voets / CBS)
