MADISONVILLE, KY – An 8-year-old boy in Kentucky tragically lost his life after consuming strawberries from a school fundraiser. The Madisonville Police Department reported that they were summoned to a residence early Friday morning in response to a child experiencing severe respiratory distress and unresponsiveness.
The boy’s parents informed officials that their son had consumed a significant amount of strawberries from a high school fundraiser the previous evening. As the day wore on, the child began showing signs of distress, prompting his parents to administer Benadryl and a bath in an attempt to alleviate his symptoms.
Despite their efforts, the boy’s condition continued to deteriorate, leading the family to seek emergency medical assistance late Thursday night. However, they returned home with the boy a few hours later. The following morning, the family discovered the boy unresponsive when they attempted to rouse him for school.
In the wake of this tragic incident, the Hopkins County Health Department issued a warning to the community, advising against the consumption of strawberries sold by Madisonville North Hopkins High School and Hopkins County Central High School athletics. The preliminary autopsy report concluded that the boy’s death was due to an “isolated allergic reaction,” according to Dr. Christopher Kiefer, the Medical Examiner.
The health department has yet to confirm whether the boy had a known allergy to strawberries. The strawberries involved in the incident were distributed by Juicy Fruit LLC, Southern Grown, and Sizemore Farms, with 443 flats distributed by North and 535 flats by Central. The Department of Public Health Environmentalists is currently conducting tests on samples of the strawberries.
The identity of the boy has not been disclosed at this time.