WILLIAMSTON — A Williamston mother who has lost one son and has another son hospitalized is now in the hospital herself in critical condition.
Elizabeth Whitfield was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center on Tuesday after she began having extreme trouble breathing, said Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown.
Whitfield and her two boys, 10-month-old Jacob and 2-year-old Kenneth, were all taken to the hospital Sunday when they began having trouble breathing. Jacob died Sunday afternoon. Elizabeth Whitfield was first taken to the AnMed Health Medical Center in Anderson on Sunday, where she was treated and released.
Then on Monday, while she was visiting Kenneth in the hospital in Greenville, the mother began having trouble breathing again. She was being treated and was to be moved into a regular room of the hospital until her oxygen levels began dropping drastically Tuesday, McCown said.
Kenneth was still in critical condition Tuesday but was improving, McCown said.
McCown said it appears the family breathed in too much pesticide in their home after the mother used insect foggers there several times over a month to try to kill bugs. Sheriff’s investigators are still working on the case.
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Comments » 13
PAULAS writes:
okey now tell me the mom didn't know the dangers... how old is she...
chall1017 writes:
I'm sure she knew the dangers, but she was also wanting to not have her home infested with bugs. I don't think intend was planned. Maybe she just thought that when she returne home the fumes would have bben gone.
mastrs1 writes:
Seriously? This woman lost her son and her other son is in the hospital along with herself. Have at least a little respect for her and her family.
Prayers go out for your son and yourself. Hope you guys make a full recovery. Sorry about your loss!
pink_rfc writes:
Such a tragic story. My thoughts and prayers are with them. She will have to live with this the rest of her life. I can't even begin to image what she is going through. I just hope she and the other child do not suffer any long term effects from the pesticide exposure.
herewegoagain writes:
i do feel sorry for them...but use a little common sense. if you have none of that read the directions.
if it will kill roaches...it cant be healthy for an infant.
i wish we could prosecute stupidity!
pink_rfc writes:
I agree that it wasn't a smart move on her part, but she will live every day of her life knowing that her actions resulted in the death of her baby. I think that's punishment enough.
We all make mistakes.
tdonsin writes:
Now everyone do you read everything. Some people do like me and most don't. She could be a young mother, the cans says how long to stay out, open windows and other things. Most people do not read everything. But I must say that even if you are gone all day you can still smell the stuff. I have used the cans before I moved into a house and before I moved anything in it. I did not care if there was bugs or not but I was going to be sure. I read everything and hopefully now everyone will read everything and then follow what it says. I hope they make a full recovery and I do not think they should press charges, she did not do it on purpose.
fountainkitten#276627 writes:
it was said she and the kids had been living with her mom,i just feel like she was trying to be a responsible mom .thank God she cared for her babies enough to want them to have aclean place to live if it was a single wide trailer.and better yet she was trying to protect them instead of abuseing and murdering them like so many are doing these days.
herewegoagain writes:
yea trying to protect them killed one and the other is in ICU...i would call that an unfit mother!
herewegoagain writes:
so as long as you feel bad for your actions, you should not be punnished.
if this had been a babysitter or other care giver, you all would want to hang them.
pink_rfc writes:
Like I said before, the fact that she is going to live with this forever IS punishment.
Everyone makes stupid mistakes. Her mistake was a tragic one.
From what we've read, it sounds like she couldn't have afforded an exterminator. So she did what she thought she had to do for her kids to have a clean home. Have a little sympathy.
herewegoagain writes:
I have sympathy for the children. not for the mother. it was a stupid mistake that killed a child. stupidity is not an excuse she should be punnished!!!!
pink_rfc writes:
You shouldn't be allowed to call someone stupid when you can't even spell "punished."
Have a great day, and try not to be too perfect while you're at it.
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