A girl in Massachusetts died of E. coli after eating at her favorite fast food restaurant.
Angelica Vazquez, 6, ordered a cheeseburger from her local McDonald’s for a night of trick-or-treating on Halloween this year.
The next evening, the elementary school student told her mother, Samantha Ocasio, that she felt sick.
Mrs. Ocasio asked Angelica if she needed to see a doctor, but her daughter said, “No, my stomach just hurts.”
So the mother of seven assumed she just had a regular stomach flu and left her to drink Gatorade and relax in front of the TV.
On November 2, Angelica fell unconscious in her mother’s arms after a bubble bath after telling her, “I love you.” Those would be her last words.
By the time the ambulance arrived at the hospital, the girl who was always “very grateful for anything and everything she had” was in cardiac arrest.
Ms Ocasio said: “It was quick. It really happened very quickly.’
Angelica Vazquez (pictured here), 6, died earlier this month from E coli, which led to gastrointestinal bleeding and cardiac arrest. Her family suspects eating at McDonald’s two days earlier could be to blame
The onions of the hamburgers (photo) were the focus of an investigation into an E coli outbreak
Your browser does not support iframes.
Just 12 hours after arriving at the hospital, Angelica died of E coli, a deadly bacteria possibly linked to shaved yellow onions at McDonald’s restaurants in 14 states.
So far, more than a hundred Americans have fallen ill, with 34 hospitalized. An elderly man in Colorado died from the disease last month.
There are no confirmed cases of E coli linked to the outbreak in Massachusetts and only one item was thought to be affected: McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burger.
Angelica had eaten a regular cheeseburger. But her family suspects the restaurant’s food may have been the cause.
Ms. Ocasio told it MassLive: ‘My whole concern is, “Okay, if it wasn’t McDonald’s, then what is it?”‘
According to health officials, there are about 265,000 cases of E.coli in the U.S. each year and more than 100 people die from the disease.
Infections are caused by eating contaminated foods such as ground beef – where a contaminated portion of an animal’s intestine has entered the stock, vegetables – which may have been grown with contaminated water – and unpasteurized milk.
Patients usually begin to experience symptoms three to four days after infection, although these can be delayed for more than a week.
These include diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea, which may go away within a few days.
However, if people experience persistent, severe or bloody diarrhea, it is recommended that they seek urgent hospital care.
In severe cases, E coli toxins have been shown to travel to the heart and cause inflammation, putting more strain on the organ. This can lead to cardiac arrest.
Mrs. Ocasio did not learn her daughter’s cause of death until she read the death certificate. At the hospital, doctors said they refused to give answers.
They only told her that Angelica had suffered brain damage, which could have been caused by E coli breaking the blood-brain barrier and traveling to the central nervous system, causing inflammation and cutting off oxygen to the organ.
Ms Ocasio said: “They kept saying, ‘She’s too sick. She’s too sick.’
Angelica’s death certificate revealed cardiac arrest, acute gastrointestinal bleeding and a positive E coli test.
According to the CDC map above, there have been no confirmed E coli cases in Massachusetts following the McDonald’s outbreak.
Angelica’s mother, Samantha Ocasio, is now focused on sharing her daughter’s story to save another child’s life. She told MassLive: ‘I feel like it’s my job to spread awareness’
It is unclear whether Angelica’s infection was caused by the burger she ate at McDonald’s. Earlier this month, Grimmway Farms announced a recall of its organic baby and whole carrots due to E coli contamination.
The affected products were sold in 18 states, sickening 39 people and hospitalizing 15. One person has died.
Ms. Ocasio is now focusing on keeping her other six children, all under the age of 10, safe and preserving her daughter’s memory by making necklaces for each of her siblings.
Ms Ocasio said: “They can wear that anywhere. We talk about her. They know they are more than welcome to talk about her.
“And I check their mental health every morning and before bed. And in between we talk a lot and cry together.’
She also noted that she wants to share her daughter’s story in hopes of saving another child’s life.
“I feel like it’s my job to spread awareness,” she said.