SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A legal battle involving a Central Florida dairy farm has come to a close, as the lawsuit filed by a woman over the loss of her child has been dismissed, according to documents reviewed by News 6.
Rachel Maddox, a resident of Seminole County, initiated the lawsuit after purchasing raw milk in June 2025 from a Longwood store. The milk originated from Keely Farms Dairy, located in New Smyrna Beach.
The lawsuit detailed that Maddox had questioned the label on the raw milk, which indicated it was “for consumption by animals.” She was informed that this label was a regulatory requirement for selling “farm milk.” However, she did not pursue the matter further.
The legal complaint revealed that Maddox and her husband subsequently gave the raw milk to their toddler, who later suffered from diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, ultimately requiring hospitalization.
Medical tests confirmed the presence of Campylobacter, a bacterium often linked to foodborne illnesses. Maddox was informed that she contracted the bacteria while tending to her sick child.
“I got the bacteria from cleaning up after my toddler’s illness,” Maddox explained to News 6 last year. “When your child is unwell, you end up with a lot on you, and that’s how I got sick.”
Soon after, Maddox’s fetus died, and she was diagnosed with sepsis, court records show.
“I became very ill — and I mean the sickest I’ve ever been in my life,” Maddox said. “I came really close to dying, and our (unborn) son did die. The doctors told me that I was lucky to be alive.”
While investigating the case, News 6 discovered that Keely Farms Dairy had been tied to at least 21 cases of E. coli and Campylobacter sickness from raw milk. Six of the 21 patients were children under the age of 10, seven patients were hospitalized, and at least two cases resulted in severe complications, state officials warned.
In the original lawsuit, Maddox accused the dairy farm of negligence and liability for what happened.
However, new court records filed on Friday afternoon reveal that she has voluntarily dismissed the case. No information was provided about why that was the case.
You can read the original lawsuit below:
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