- Brittany Randall believes her 15-year-old girl contracted E. coli aft eating astatine McDonald's.
- Her symptoms were initially mistaken for nan flu, delaying due aesculapian treatment.
- Randall's girl is presently hospitalized and receiving dialysis treatment.
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This as-told-to effort is based connected a speech pinch Brittany Randall, a 39-year-old from Mesa County, Colorado, whose 15-year-old daughter, Kamberlyn Bowler, contracted E. coli astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic a recent E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's successful 10 states. Business Insider has verified her relationship done infirmary records, eating receipts, and different documents. This has been edited for magnitude and clarity.
My 15-year-old daughter, Kamberlyn, ate nan aforesaid repast astatine McDonald's, a Quarter Pounder pinch food and other pickles, connected September 25 and September 27. By nan evening of October 8, her forehead was basking to nan touch, and she complained of a fever.
We chalked her symptoms up to nan flu, and I told her to hydrate and get immoderate rest.
Ten days later, we were transferred to nan nearest children's infirmary for her to person dialysis curen for a life-threatening complication of E. coli. We're still astatine nan infirmary and don't cognize erstwhile we'll beryllium capable to time off aliases what lasting wellness effects she will experience.
As a mother, I interest that if I'd waited immoderate longer to activity aesculapian help, my girl wouldn't beryllium present today. I'm wary of trusting accelerated nutrient aliases restaurants ever again.
We wrote disconnected her symptoms arsenic nan flu
Kamberlyn insisted connected going to schoolhouse connected October 9, nan time aft moving a fever, but called retired early erstwhile she started experiencing nausea, tummy cramping, and bloody diarrhea.
I treated it for illustration a emblematic flu and gave her immoderate medicine I had astatine home. On October 11, her symptoms worsened, and she felt incapable to eat aliases portion anything, truthful I took her to a expert who suggested it whitethorn beryllium appendicitis and instructed america to spell to nan emergency room.
The emergency room ran respective tests and told america it was gastritis, truthful they sent america location to hold it out. Kamberlyn told maine she felt a spot amended aft receiving fluids from nan hospital.
Six days later, she said thing wasn't right
On October 17, I drove her backmost to nan emergency room. Blood and stool tests showed she had a life-threatening complication of E. coli called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and was experiencing acute kidney failure.
The adjacent time we were transferred to a adjacent children's infirmary wherever they were much equipped to woody pinch pediatric kidney failure.
It's been a roller coaster since arriving here.
Kamberlyn spent nan first fewer days successful nan pediatric ICU, wherever she was put connected 24-hour dialysis to region toxins from her blood. Now she's wholly confined to a room pinch her doctors and maine wherever she's been connected dialysis each different day. It's been a waiting crippled to spot really her kidneys function.
It's frustrating to spot my child's assemblage conflict against her. It's been hard.
I won't beryllium eating McDonald's again
She has been making progress, but we still don't cognize erstwhile she'll beryllium capable to time off nan infirmary aliases what lasting harm has been caused to her kidneys. She whitethorn ne'er acquisition issues again, aliases it could beryllium thing that causes lifelong issues. We conscionable don't know.
We're readying to return ineligible action against McDonald's and I won't beryllium eating there ever again. It's difficult to put spot successful accelerated food if this is nan result that tin happen. I'm simply not willing successful eating retired anymore.
Editor's note: Kamberlyn Bowler is 1 of 33 group represented by Ron Simon & Associates who judge they were victims of nan McDonald's E. coli outbreak.
The circumstantial root of contamination is still nether investigation. The Food and Drug Administration has identified nan onions connected McDonald's Quarter Pounders arsenic a imaginable root of this outbreak.
A McDonald's spokesperson pointed Business Insider to caller remarks by Joe Erlinger, McDonald's US president.
"You spot america to service you safe nutrient each time. On behalf of nan McDonald's system, I want you to perceive from me: we are sorry," he said. "For those customers affected, you person my committedness that, led by our values: we will make this right."