Every parent believes that feeding their child something as simple as lettuce is safe. We didn’t think twice about it. We shouldn’t have to. But for my family – and too many others – that assumption turned into a nightmare that will never fully end.
My child, Colton George, a rambunctious 10-year old, became devastatingly ill after consuming contaminated romaine lettuce linked to a foodborne illness outbreak in November 2024. What followed was not a mild stomach bug or a few days of discomfort. It was a life-threatening medical crisis caused by E. coli, one that changed Colton’s life and our family forever.
Colton was hospitalized for 18 days. For the first three of those days, he was not allowed to eat or drink at all. As his condition worsened, he developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication of E. coli infection that attacks red blood cells and can cause kidney failure.
Because of this, Colton endured nine days of hemodialysis and five additional days of intermittent dialysis. He received five blood transfusions just to stay alive.
This is what a foodborne illness can actually look like.
