Mom takes 4-year-old to hospital after Halloween candy tastes off. Then he collapses and his heart rate spikes: ‘It’s not supposed to happen’
Her stepson already felt something was off when he took a bite of chocolate.
A mother in Québec, Canada, is raising concerns after her four-year-old stepson was rushed to the hospital for eating candy allegedly laced with cannabis. She is now urging other parents to be vigilant about the candy their children collect while trick-or-treating on Halloween.
Rebeka Lefebvre said she took her stepson Mylan to the hospital on Thursday, Nov. 5, when he began to feel sick after eating a bar of KitKat, which was supposedly sealed and did not appear to be tampered with. Her son claimed the chocolate had tasted weird before Lefebvre noticed he was beginning to drool. Nurses at the hospital, however, said nothing was wrong with Mylan and discharged him soon after, according to the Daily Mail.
Mylan later collapsed to the floor from dizziness and began crying as they were leaving the hospital, with his heart beating too quickly, Lefebvre said. Mylan’s condition soon turned critical, and doctors feared he was at risk of cardiac arrest.
Halloween candy allegedly contained cannabis
According to Lefebvre, Mylan’s urine test results showed traces of THC, the psychoactive compound that is responsible for the mind-altering effects, or the “high,” found in cannabis. 50ng/mL of THC was reportedly detected, which is the standard threshold to determine the presence of cannabis in urine.
“I think it’s appalling that people are capable of doing things like that. It’s not supposed to happen,” Lefebvre told CTV News on Sunday. “At that moment, we were filled with questions, anxiety, and stress, and fear. There were so many emotions overwhelming us at the sight of our child like that.”
Dr. Christopher Labos, a cardiologist at McGill University Health Centre, also told the outlet that children consuming cannabis is a serious situation that should be treated immediately. “At the extreme, for a young child that gets a very, very high dose they can actually develop seizures, lapse into a coma, and sometimes even die,” the doctor said.
The effects of cannabis on children can be severe
According to Children’s Hospital Colorado, symptoms from ingesting cannabis generally take an hour to four hours to appear and can last for several hours afterward. But for children under the age of 12 years old, the effects of consuming cannabis can be stronger and last longer due to their body weight.
Symptoms vary by individual, but common ones in children include loss of coordination, difficulty breathing, and mild to severe drowsiness. Depending on the amount of cannabis consumed, children may also be at risk of falling into a coma and needing a ventilator or breathing tube. It is also worth noting that these symptoms are not limited to children, as adults and even pets can experience them as well.
Lefebvre said the Sûreté du Québec, the city’s police force, has been informed of the incident and that an investigation was launched. Nevertheless, Lefebvre hopes that her stepson’s incident will serve as a warning to others when it comes to eating candy from strangers.
“I’m begging you, parents of Drummondville, Saint-Germain, and the surrounding areas: check your children’s candies. Even those that are wrapped and seem intact. Don’t take anything for granted,” Lefebvre said. “Behind every child there is a family who loves them and should never have to fear losing them to a single treat.”
Lefebvre said Mylan has returned home and is recovering from the incident.
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