As we tend to do frequently, we have been in the process of updating our “about” sites (today if you “google” e. coli, the site is No 2).  I must admit updating several “about” sites yearly is an ongoing project involving several experts in the field as well as the lawyers and staff in our office. I just put the finishing touches on “about-ecoli” and was struck – again – by the “One Family’s Story.” You will be too.

Elizabeth and Michael Armstrong were extremely health-conscious when it came to feeding their two children—Ashley, 2, and Isabella, 4. There was, as a result, nothing unusual about their feeding them a salad made with Dole-brand baby spinach in August, 2006. Unfortunately, the spinach proved to be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, and Ashley and Isabella became two of the many victims of a nationwide outbreak of infections linked to Dole’s bagged spinach products. Although Isabella recovered relatively quickly from her infection, Ashley developed a rare and extremely dangerous complication—hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS.

Armstrong Family Spinach E. coli Illnesses from Marlerclark on Vimeo.