A Canadian mother is warning parents after her four-year-old stepson was hospitalized after eating Halloween candy that allegedly contained cannabis.
Rebeka Lefebvre, of Drummondville, Quebec, shared the warning on social media last Friday after her stepson, Mylan, ate a KitKat and soon developed severe dizziness and a rapid heartbeat.
Lefebvre said the candy appeared completely normal. It was packaged, sealed and showed no obvious signs of tampering.
Mylan was taken to hospital in critical condition, where doctors feared he could suffer cardiac arrest, Lefebvre wrote in her social media post.
She also shared a photograph of his urine drug test, which showed THC at 50ng/mL. THC is the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis and is responsible for the intoxicating effects associated with being high.
A reading of 50ng/mL is the cutoff used to detect cannabis in urine, although the effects of THC can vary from person to person. Young children may be particularly vulnerable because of their smaller body size.
‘Whether it was intentional or not, the consequences could have been irreversible,’ Lefebvre wrote.
Mylan has since returned home and is no longer considered to be in critical condition.
Rebeka Lefebvre, from Quebec, Canada, issued a warning to parents after Halloween trick-or-treating left her four-year-old stepson Mylan hospitalized with dizziness and a rapid heartbeat
Lefebvre shared a photograph of her stepson’s toxicology report, which showed traces of cannabis
The four-year-old was hospitalized after experiencing severe dizziness and a rapid heartbeat following a night of trick-or-treating
‘In extreme cases, if a young child receives a very, very high dose, they can develop seizures, lapse into a coma and sometimes even die,’ Dr Christopher Labos, a cardiologist at McGill University Health Centre, told CTV News.
In her emotional statement, Lefebvre wrote: ‘Today, I’m speaking from the heart of a completely devastated mother. I don’t wish for any parent to go through what we experienced yesterday.
‘My four-year-old stepson ate a small KitKat containing THC, or cannabis, after spending Halloween trick-or-treating. It was a chocolate that seemed perfectly normal, wrapped and sealed like any other treat.
‘A few moments later, our world turned upside down. My stepson had to be taken to hospital and placed under medical supervision because of worrying symptoms, including severe dizziness and tachycardia.
‘But cardiac arrest is something no mother should ever have to hear mentioned in connection with her child.
‘I can’t understand how someone could put a child’s life in danger in this way. Whether it was intentional or not, the consequences could have been irreversible.
Rebeka Lefebvre’s four-year-old stepson Mylan was hospitalized after eating Halloween candy that allegedly contained cannabis
The candy that allegedly caused Mylan to become ill was described as a small, sealed KitKat (stock image)
‘We’re talking about a four-year-old child—a little boy who simply wanted to enjoy Halloween like all the other kids.
‘Behind every piece of candy is a child. Behind every child is a family that loves them and should never have to fear losing them because of a treat.
‘I’m begging parents in Drummondville, Saint-Germain and the surrounding areas to check their children’s candy, including treats that are wrapped and appear intact. Don’t take anything for granted.
‘I’m sharing this message not to create panic, but to raise awareness and help prevent another family from going through this nightmare.
‘We experienced a terrifying ordeal today, but I’m thinking of all the parents who might not be so lucky.
‘A child is not a target. Their life is not a game. No parent should have to wonder whether they will bring their child home alive after Halloween.
‘Behind every child is a family that loves them and should never have to fear losing them because of a single treat.’
The incident has been referred to Quebec’s national police force, the Sûreté du Québec, for further investigation, according to CTV News.
