I was sent the following email this morning:
DONT IGNORE THIS BECAUSE ITS A LONG ARTICLE PLEASE!! PLEASE READ!!
McDonalds, Chuck E Cheese, Discovery Zone... All places with ball pits in
the children's play area. One of my sons lost his watch, and was very
upset. We dug and dug in those balls, trying to find his watch.
Instead, we found vomit, food, feces, and other stuff I do not want to
discuss.
I went to the manager and raised hell. Come to find out, the ball pit is
only cleaned out once a month. I have doubts that it is even done that
often. My kids will never play in another ball pit.
Some of you might not be parents, but you may have nieces, nephews,
grandchildren, or friends with children.
This will pertain to you too. As I read the following, my heart sank. I
urge each and every one of you to pass this on to as many people as you
can. I cannot stress how important this is!
Hi. My name is Lauren Archer, my son Kevin and I lived in Midland,TN.
On October 2nd, 1999 I took my only son to McDonald's for his 3rd
birthday.
After he finished lunch, I allowed him to play in the ball pit. When he
started whining later on, I asked him what was wrong, he pointed to the
back of his pull-up and simply said "Mommy, it hurts." I couldn't find
anything wrong with him at that time. I bathed him when we got home, and
it was at that point when I found a welt on his left buttock.
Upon investigating, it seemed as if there was something like a splinter
under the welt. I made an appointment to see the doctor the next day, but
soon he started vomiting and shaking, then his eyes rolled back into his
head. From there, we went to the emergency room. He died later that
night.
It turned out that the welt on his buttock was the tip of a hypodermic
needle that had broken off inside.
The autopsy revealed that Kevin had died from a heroine overdose. The
next week, the police removed the balls from the ball pit. There was
rotten food, several hypodermic needles: some full, some used; knives,
half-eaten candy, diapers, feces, and the stench of urine.
(You can find the article on Kevin Archer in the October 10,1999 issue
of the Midland Chronicle.)
Don't think it's just McDonald's either. A little boy had been playing in
ball pit @ a Burger King & started complaining of his legs hurting.
He later died too. He was found to have snake bites all over his legs &
buttocks. When they cleaned the ball pit they found that there was a
copperhead's nest in the ball pit. He had suffered numerous bites from a
very poisonous snake.
Repost this if it scares the crap out of you!! Repost this if you care
about kids!! Please forward this to all loving mothers, fathers and
anyone who loves and cares for children!! What has this world come to??
If a child is not safe in a child's play area then where??