Teenager Hospitalized with Severe E. coli Complications After Eating McDonald’s Burgers
A 15-year-old high school freshman, Kamberlyn Bowler, is hospitalized with severe complications from food poisoning after consuming McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers on three separate occasions in the weeks leading up to a deadly E. coli outbreak, The Associated Press reports.
Kamberlyn was flown 250 miles to Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, near Denver, in mid-October, where she underwent 10 days of dialysis to save her kidneys. She is one of at least 75 people sickened and 22 hospitalized in the outbreak, tentatively linked to contaminated onions. Mesa County, where Kamberlyn resides, has seen 11 cases and one fatality.
Federal health officials believe slivered onions used on the burgers are the likely source of the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria, which has infected Kamberlyn. This strain of bacteria produces a potent toxin that can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe kidney disease complication. Dr. Myda Khalid, a kidney specialist at Riley Hospital for Children in Indiana, explained that HUS can lead to weeks-long hospital stays and even necessitate kidney transplants. Although most children recover, the condition can be fatal.
Kamberlyn recalls eating McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with cheese, extra pickles, and onions on three occasions between September 27th and October 8th. She frequented the fast-food chain during football halftime and school softball games.
Days after her last McDonald’s meal, Kamberlyn started experiencing fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and agonizing stomach cramps. “I couldn’t get out of bed,” she recounted. “I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t drink. I was surviving on popsicles. I felt like crap.”
Kamberlyn’s mother, Brittany Randall, a jail guard, initially thought her daughter had the flu. However, a text message from Kamberlyn revealing blood in her stool, urine, and vomit prompted Randall to take her to a local hospital on October 11th. While doctors initially diagnosed a stomach bug and sent Kamberlyn home, her condition worsened. By October 17th, she was back in the emergency room with acute kidney failure.
Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s chairman, president, and CEO, expressed deep concern and apologized for the outbreak during a conference call with investors. “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers,” he stated. “The recent spate of E. coli cases is deeply concerning, and hearing reports of how this has impacted our customers has been wrenching for us.”
Randall, worried about her daughter’s health and the potential medical costs, is planning to sue the fast-food chain. Kamberlyn’s future health remains uncertain as she continues to recover in the hospital.
