I first consulted with S.T.O.P. about 5 years or so ago when E coli broke out in greens and green beans. My extensive background and experience in agriculture as well as being at the time a Certified Crop Advisor through the American Society of Agronomy, gave me first hand looks at the critical points where food safety was an eyesore.
S.T.O.P. was an inspiration and a lighthouse to me in helping me report through the proper channels and authorities, the absence of Best Management Practices in soil amendments that included spreading manure and untreated human sludge and waste on crops in the Southeast as a cheap soil amendment or fertilizer. Changes were eventually made, but shortly after that food safety was about to get personal.
One of our granddaughters became deathly ill at home after having dined with our daughter and youngest granddaughter at a fast food restaurant. Taylor, only 2 years old at the time, began vomiting at home. A few hours later she began to bleed severely through her bowels and her stool was watery. That night she was rushed to the hospital where she was critically dehydrated and placed on intravenous fluids. The end of the next day the doctor at South Georgia Medical Center said she had food poisoning.
We prayed, we cried, we encouraged our daughter and tried to comfort Taylor. She cried for us to hold her. We were fortunate to not lose Taylor but she was hospitalized for close to a week. She couldn't understand the tubes in her little arms and we cried with her as she screamed as they punctured her little hands and feet with needles. She couldn't understand any of this and nor could we. We were hurting for Taylor and at the same time furious that someone had done this inhumane act to our baby.
I had established a prior relationship with S.T.O.P. so I sent an email to the organization. They guided me through the maze of how to approach this incident with authorities. S.T.O.P. never left us hanging alone and assured us of their prayers and concern. Later, through our health agency, it was determined that others had become sick after eating at the same fast food establishment where it was found that the burgers were undercooked. Taylor was blessed to come out of the ordeal but she will tell you today when we pull up to a drive through not to eat the burgers. That's the mark she is left with.
As if one time weren't enough, a couple of years ago our youngest granddaughter, Aubrey, ate at a fast food establishment and had a similar experience, but not quite as severe as her sister. Aubrey was taken to the emergency room at South Georgia Medical Center, treated for mild food poisoning and sent home. She was so sick for several days.
Again, using the lessons learned through the last ordeal and lessons learned from S.T.O.P. we found out that several other children and adults had also suffered food poisoning at after eating at this particular establishment. There was an investigation by the county health service and the fast food establishment was shut down for a week.
Carolyn and I have a prayer ministry that reaches from Texas to North Carolina. It is called EMinistry because persons with prayer requests and life issues can email us. We have a large group of partners who assist with the large list of prayer requests. Every time Silent Ministries/BADD receives a food alert I forward it to our members and many of them have become members of S.T.O.P through realizing S.T.O.P.'s impact and importance to their families.
We love S.T.O.P. and we pray for the organization and the victims and families they support each and everyday. But prayers aren't all S.T.O.P. needs. They need your help. S.T.O.P. fights to make food safer for us all. Please join me in supporting this fantastic organization. Please make your tax deductible gift today. Together we can make a change, and continue to make our food safer for everyone, including our granddaughters, Taylor and Aubrey.
Thanks,
Jim and Carolyn |
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