He’s a special kid. I know he’s my kid, but he’s pretty special, nonetheless. He loves baseball and basketball and he go, go, goes from the minute he wakes up until we make him slow down – be it coming inside, eating dinner, or going to bed. He has a sweet spirit and the kind of determination and drive that makes him unstoppable. At least, we thought so until November 17, 2024.
It was always a beautiful time of the year with the weather changing and winter on the horizon wanting to make itself known. But no one was thinking about any of that, because in addition to Thanksgiving and the long weekend that comes with it, everyone was anticipating the 10th birthday party of our son, Colton.
Around November 10th, Colton began having an upset stomach. We thought the diarrhea and increased fatigue was related to a recent tooth infection for which he was taking antibiotics. Despite his condition, Colton attempted to play in a basketball game on November 16th but had to stop and was unable to continue. Colton’s the kind of kid who’ll push through anything. So, for him to stop … that was alarming. A day later Colton couldn’t stand up and was crying uncontrollably. Recognizing the severity of his condition, my wife, Amber, called me at work and said, “I’m taking him to the emergency room, he is doubled over in pain!”
At the ER, Colton required pain management and imaging of his abdomen. Thankfully, we remembered to bring a stool sample with us. Lab work revealed critical abnormalities that the ER staff could not manage, and he was urgently referred to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.
Upon arrival at Riley, Colton was admitted, and the next morning, November 18, we were informed that his condition was life-threatening. In fact, the doctors stressed that the next 24 to 72 hours would determine his survival. He was diagnosed with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which had caused acute kidney failure. Only days before he was running up and down the court and now, he was fighting for his life.
Over the next 18 days, Colton was confined to a hospital bed. Eleven of those days, he spent in the ICU needing round-the-clock dialysis. He underwent surgery to place a central line in his neck and was placed in a medically induced coma. He remained intubated and unable to eat or drink for four days. The multiple medications, and management of his blood pressure required constant monitoring. I’ve seen some hard things in my life as a firefighter, but seeing my son unable to move, with a tube down his throat, on a ventilator was one of the hardest moments of my life. When it’s your kid? That’s the sort of thing nobody needs to see.
Unable to eat or drink, Colton endured very painful bladder and kidney spasms requiring medication to help ease the pain. He was limited to 750ml of fluid intake every 12 hours since he was not able to produce urine and the dialysis machine had to remove the fluid, he was taking in. (750ml is a little more than 3 cups) He received a total of 5 blood transfusions during his 18 days at Riley. Every last little thing was under observation 24/7.
On November 26 he missed his 10th birthday and his birthday party – we’d planned a great celebration! Two days later he got to see Thanksgiving pass him by as well. This illness has profoundly impacted our family, both immediately and in the long term. The costs of Colton’s hospitalization, treatments, and ongoing care are substantial, compounded by lost wages and the near constant stream of additional expenses.
Our lives have been turned upside down. Amber had only recently begun a new job, so it was necessary for her to work remotely during an already taxing time. Working odd hours while trying to comfort our son ended up with her staying in the hospital for 18 days, leaving only twice to briefly shower and retrieve clothes. I used 187 hours of FMLA sick time to manage hospital commutes and household responsibilities, depleting my sick leave balance, and affecting future leave availability. Breakfast, lunch, and dinners had to be purchased either at the hospital or using food delivery services or nearby food trucks.
I am happy to report that Colton survived.
However, this preventable incident has caused immeasurable harm to our family, including physical, emotional, and financial burdens. There are still a lot of unanswered questions though, and an uncertain prognosis.
The costs are significant. He requires weekly blood draws, medications, and monitoring to assess kidney function. There’s a very real potential for long-term chronic kidney issues. This kind of trauma necessitates therapy for Colton to process his hospitalization and recovery. He continues to struggle with the disruption to his routine, including missed school and sports. Being confined to a hospital bed is tough on anyone, but especially for an active kid like Colton. His mental well-being has paid and is paying a significant toll.
There’s a distrust for food – what it is, where it’s coming from, who’s preparing it. What about the next gurgle in his stomach or the next time something seems “off”? The constant noise in his head about what will happen if he says, “No, thank you?” Or worse, if he says, “Yes” and then gets sick again? Our family used to eat salads all the time, Now, we don’t touch lettuce. Colton’s terrified of it, and honestly, we are too. As Colton recovered, I became determined to uncover how he had contracted such a devastating illness. Turns out whole genome sequencing data was instrumental in identifying a likely link between Colton’s illness and a broader E. coli O157 outbreak affecting nearly 90 people across a dozen states. Colton’s condition was caused by consuming a contaminated product containing Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.
This and only this is why our son got sick and almost lost his life. Holding the person, persons, or company accountable for their gross negligence is the only way to ensure this doesn’t happen to another family.
Life can change in an instant. We went from having a perfectly healthy child to almost losing him. If sharing our story can prevent even one family from going through this, it’s worth it. This isn’t just about Colton. It’s about the 88 people (and their families and communities) impacted by this outbreak. It’s about holding companies accountable and making sure no one else suffers like he has.
The outpouring of support we’ve received has been incredible and has helped us cope throughout the whole ordeal. Friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors helped with the dog, brought meals, and just let us know they were there. Even people we didn’t know reached out and helped. It means the world to us! As life moves forward so must we. But now we feel even more determined to be stronger and healthier for Colton.
We’re not buying poison and feeding it to our kids. People expect the food they buy to be safe. The system failed us, and now our son’s life is forever changed. We hope our experience will prevent others from enduring similar tragedies.
