When Colton George became so sick he had to leave his basketball game early, his parents never imagined just days later he’d be in the hospital fighting for his life.
Colton, from Avon, Indiana, spent his 10th birthday critically ill with kidney failure last November after falling sick with food poisoning.
Tests revealed he had the same strain of E. coli that was involved in an outbreak last fall linked to a farm that grew romaine lettuce.
Ninety people were sickened across 15 states and one died from the bacterial infection.
But officials didn’t issue any public notices about the outbreak, as is common practice, and the company behind the tainted lettuce has not been revealed.
A recall of the produce was never issued, either.
The FDA closed its investigation into the outbreak and said the threat to public health was over so it did not have to issue a notice.
Now, the Georges, who said they wrote and called the FDA dozens of times looking for answers but received no response, are suing the company they believe is responsible for their son’s brush with death.
The family of Colton George, 10, is demanding answers from the FDA after a stomach ache left him fighting for his life in the hospital
As Colton continues to recover, his parents are still searching for answers and have filed a lawsuit behind the company they believe was the source of the E. coli outbreak
Through the lawsuit, the family’s attorney was able to acquire documents that he says show the lettuce was produced by Taylor Farms, a large producer of salads and vegetables based in California.
The company denies it was the source of the outbreak and the FDA said it would not share information pertaining to the source.
Colton’s father, Chris George, said: ‘There’s just no transparency at all from the federal government, and we’re taxpayers, and I think that we should have the name of the supplier that made my son sick.’
Chris said in April: ‘We know [the source] was romaine lettuce, but they won’t say who supplied the romaine lettuce.’
An internal FDA memo linked the outbreak to a single lettuce processor, but it did not list the grower and the public was never notified.
Colton spent 18 days in the hospital, including 14 on dialysis to treat his kidney failure from the E. coli. His parents say he is now doing better and off his medications.
‘It’s really traumatizing when I get reminded of [the sickness]. I just start tearing up, because I do not want… I don’t want anybody to remind me of that,’ Colton told local outlet WTHR.
The outbreak appears to have begun in St. Louis, Missouri, where a group of high school students ate salads served by a local catering company and were soon doubled over in pain and hospitalized.
While about 90 cases were recorded, there were likely dozens of others given that not everyone who gets E. coli seeks medical attention.
Colton’s E. coli culture showed it was a genetic match to the strain involved in that outbreak.
E. Coli is a bacterium that causes a range of upsetting and potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal symptoms, including watery and sometimes bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, low fever and fatigue.
In some instances, it can destroy blood vessels in the kidneys, leading to kidney failure – such as what Colton experienced.
Leafy greens, lettuce, and other vegetables are among the foods that pose a risk of E. coli contamination.
Romaine lettuce and bagged salads are responsible for the most deaths, according to a Consumer Reports analysis of food recalls over the past six years.
Colton’s E. coli culture showed it was a genetic match to the strain involved in 2024 outbreak that sickened 90 and killed one
Colton spent 18 days in the hospital, celebrating his 10th birthday while receiving treatment
Produce commonly becomes contaminated with E. coli through run off from nearby livestock feces.
Other families have joined the Georges in their lawsuit against Taylor Farms – the same grower that sparked an E. coli outbreak linked to sliced onions used on McDonald’s hamburgers.
Taylor Farms said in a written statement to DailyMail.com: ‘Taylor Farms product WAS NOT the source of the referenced 2024 E. Coli outbreak.
‘We perform extensive raw and finished product testing on all our product and there was no evidence of contamination. Any reporting that connects Taylor Farms products to these heartbreaking illnesses is dangerous, irresponsible and unfair to the impacted families.”
The Georges’ lawsuit is asking for damages for the more than $20,000 in medical bills and the cost of lost travel expenses as Colton had to be transferred to a hospital further away from his home, as well as payment for emotional distress and coverage of lost wages.
