Home fumigation leaves boy, 10, with brain damage

Home fumigation leaves boy, 10, with brain damage
Peyton McCaughey
PHOTO:

A 10-year-old boy in Florida is fighting to regain control of his limbs and speech after a termite fumigation at his home, the boy's family said.

CNN reported that the boy, Peyton McCaughey, and his family fell sick shortly after a Terminix subcontractor, Sunland Pest Control, sprayed their Palm City home for termites on Aug 14, according to family attorney Bill Williams.

The family was told it was safe to return to the home two days later, Mr Williams said. But, they immediately began feeling ill.

The boy then spent 10 days in intensive care.

He was later transferred to a hospital where he is receiving treatment by specialists, his uncle Ed Gribben wrote on a GoFundMe page for the boy's family, reported the New York Daily News.

"A recent MRI suggests there is brain damage," he wrote.

"He is unable to control his limbs. He has uncontrollable twitching and flopping. He is unable to feed himself, but his appetite is improving."

The parents, Lori and Carl McCaughey, and their seven-year-old daughter recovered.

The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation, reported ABC News.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has also issued a stop-work order against the company's subcontractor.

Sulfuryl fluoride, a gas fumigant, was the pesticide used to fumigate, sources told CNN.

In a statement to CNN, Terminix said: "We were saddened to learn of this and our hearts are with the family. We are carefully reviewing the matter."

Sunland Pest Control could not be reached for comment.


This article was first published on Sept 8, 2015.
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