This is scary please read if you have kids
By MINDY0882
@MINDY0882 (2302)
United States
September 27, 2006 11:40pm CST
I got this on my space bulliten this is so awful please take the time to read this..
Just sharing...
This is pretty scary!
McDonalds, Chuck E Cheese, Discovery Zone... Some of you might not be parents, but you may have nieces, nephews, grandchildren or friends with children. This will pertain to you too. As I read the following, my heart sank. I urge each and every one of you to pass this on to as many people as you can. I cannot stress how important this is! This is very disturbing news. In addition to the following true story, I will also add that my own sons were playing in the ball pit at Chuckee Cheese one day.
One son lost his watch, and was very upset. We dug and dug in those balls, trying to find the watch. Instead, we found vomit, food, feces, and other stuff I do not want to discuss. I went to the manager and raised hell. Come to find out, the ball pit is only cleaned out once a month. I have doubts that it is even done that often. My kids will never play in another ball pit.
Now read this:
PRETTY SCARY!!
Hi. My name is Lauren Archer, my son Kevin and I lived in Midland, TENN. On October 2nd, 1999 I took my only son to McDonald's for his 3rd birthday. After he finished lunch, I allowed him to play in the ball pit. When he started whining later on, I asked him what was wrong, he pointed to the back of his pull-up and simply said "Mommy, it hurts." I couldn't find anything wrong with him at that time. I bathed him when we got home, and it was at that point when I found a welt on his left buttock. Upon investigating, it seemed as if there was something like a splinter under the welt. I made an appointment to see the doctor the next day, but soon he started vomiting and shaking, then his eyes rolled back into his head.
From there, we went to the emergency room. He died later that night. It turned out that the welt on his buttock was the tip of a hypodermic needle that had broken off inside. The autopsy revealed that Kevin had died from a heroine overdose. The next week, the police removed the balls from the ball pit. There was rotten food, several hypodermic needles: some full, some used; knives, half-eaten candy, diapers, feces, and the stench of urine.
If a child is not safe in a child's play area then where? You can find the article on Kevin Archer in the October 10,1999 issue of the Midland Chronicle.
Please forward this to all loving mothers, fathers and anyone who loves and cares for children!
Don't think it's just McDonald's either or that this is something that just started. When my oldest son who is now 9 was small the area Burger King closed their play area for awhile for "remodeling" because in another town there had been an incident similar to the one described above that happen @ a Burger King. A little boy had been playing in a ball pit & started complaining of his legs hurting. He later died too.
He was found to have snake bites all over his legs & buttocks. When they cleaned the ball pit they found that there was a copperhead nest in the ball pit. He had suffered numerous bites from a very poisonous snake. I wouldn't let my son play in the ball pit after that. I was lucky even though that wasn't at our Burger King or McDonald's it could have been. I still have my son.
Please send this on so that it doesn't happen to someone you know. Sent it to everyone again received note that 2 did not receive it, to important not to send twice. If you have received it before sorry.
6 people like this
37 responses
@magikrose (5429)
• United States
8 Nov 06
That really scares me. I have 4 children and I dont think I will ever let them play in a ball pit ever again.
3 people like this
@mcmomss (2601)
• United States
8 Nov 06
That's really scary. I had heard the one about the snakes in the ball pit before. It's a shame that something so simple and enjoyable for the kids can't be better taken care of. It would be nothing to check it to make sure it was safe for the children. You would think owners would rather pay someone to take the time to do it, than to take the chance of customers getting injured.
2 people like this
@sunnylovesdaniel (429)
• United States
28 Sep 06
haha is it you that i added to my myspace... cuase i have the same poste... thanks for sharing it i did the same think on here...
@BELMCstar (1341)
• Australia
28 Sep 06
That is so sad.
There should be some sort of standard that says the areas are cleaned out at least once a week, and there should be council inspections to prove that these have been done.
2 people like this
@kcbabez14 (967)
• United States
8 Nov 06
yea i heard that too.. it makes me not want to take my child anywhere!
1 person likes this
@mommyto2boys (58)
• United States
8 Nov 06
I did here about this happeneing at chuckie cheeses awhile ago..I just couldnt believe what I was reading..We dont go to mcDonalds and I havent heard about that happening there...Thats just gross..Thanks for sharing that.
1 person likes this
@purplewolf (462)
• Canada
8 Nov 06
Oh my God! Thanks so much for passing this one, I just emailed it to everyone on my list. I have four grandchildren that play in those things all the time, but not anymore. You could have just saved someone's life and I for one am very grateful to you for that. I can't imagine what I would do if anything happened to any of my loved ones like that!
@momstime (21)
• United States
8 Nov 06
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You i have 3 small children who love to visit these places i will find other places to entertain my children and for the women who lost here child i wish her well i have never walked in here shoes but sitting here typing on the computer brings tears to my eyes children a a gift and should be protected at all times just get rid of all the balls world wide so we will never have to worry about another family suffering for companies greed.
1 person likes this
@MINDY0882 (2302)
• United States
8 Nov 06
your very welcome,I have heard of people doing at parks too like around the play area some have shredded tires u know, and people I have heard of them putting razor blades ect there as well.Its sad when your kids cant enjoy things like that because of the sick people in this world
@tater03 (1765)
• United States
8 Nov 06
I find this totally disgusting and appaling that they can get away with something like this. I am sorry but I hope those parents sued them. Just for the fact that when you have something that is a play area for children it is just commen sense that it should be cleaned regulerly. I wonder if that is why the Chuck E Cheese in our area got rid of the ball pit?
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
8 Nov 06
I have read this one before, and I am sure it is probably the Truth in those places that no one takes time to Clean them. I would think they would take time to Hire a professional to come and clean it to avoid Law suits, but you never know.
@suzieque (2334)
• Canada
8 Nov 06
Oh my god!!! My heart sank when I read that. That is very scary. You would think restaurants as well known as Mcdonalds and Chucky Cheese would do their best to clean the pit balls. I mean little children are playing there. They should clean it up everyday to check if they're is anything hazardous in the ball. I can't believe some of the things that were found there such as herione needles!!!! Snakes!!! When I have children, I'll never let them play in there again! I hope they were sued a huge amount of money!
1 person likes this
@shawnasie (389)
• United States
8 Nov 06
Thanks so much for posting this. I have found that most of the places don't have ball pits anymore. I heard about some things like this happening in the past and have refused to let my children play in them. I hope people will read this and learn from it.
@MINDY0882 (2302)
• United States
8 Nov 06
Thanks I do too,some that have replied dont believe it. Most places dont have the balls anymore I think Maybe chucky chees still does though.. thanks alot
@MagalyC (17)
• United States
8 Nov 06
Wow thanks for posting that. I have a 4 year old daughter and it's crazy to think that someting as simple as playing in a ball pit can can take their lives away. Who ever thought that a ball pit could be so unsafe and disgusting? It makes you wonder about what else is out there that can harm our children?
1 person likes this