Agony of E.coli farm tot Alfie
The twins’ anguished mum – who also had no idea of the peril – demanded to know why the popular children’s spot was not quarantined.
Gemma echoed her, declaring: “I am disgusted. No child should ever have to suffer like this. We deserve answers from the farm and the Health Protection Agency about this horrific bug.”
She and husband Chris, 26, took Alfie and his six-year-old sister to Godstone Farm and Playbarn in Surrey as a treat on the August bank holiday weekend.
Gemma, 24, said: “We’d been half a dozen times – Alfie and his sister love the farm. There was no mention of a possible E.coli outbreak.”
Poor lamb … little Alfie Weaver feeding
sheep on previous visit to farm
A snap of animal-loving Alfie taken on a visit last year shows him tenderly stroking a rabbit. In another he feeds sheep.
This time round the farm was continuing to let children in despite health watchdogs having linked a vicious strain of E.coli to the attraction – where kids can also get close to chickens, ponies, goats, geese and llamas.
Gemma, of Reigate, Surrey, said: “The children petted and stroked the animals as all children do.
Terrified
“I stood over them and made sure they washed their hands with soap and water afterwards.
“We headed over to the picnic area and had a packed lunch.
“Then Alfie and his sister played in the sandpit and in the play barns – which are like a children’s playground.
Picnic … goats congregate at food table
“The kids were as happy as anything. But a few days later Alfie said, ‘My tummy hurts’.
“He grew desperately ill and started passing blood. I was terrified. It’s every mother’s worst nightmare.”
Gemma rushed him to casualty. Doctors found his kidneys ravaged by the dreaded E.coli 0157 strain.
Alfie has since had to undergo two blood transfusions plus three blood tests every day.
Horrified Gemma, who has kept a daily vigil with her council worker husband at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, said: “As the E.coli kicked in he spent four days in total agony – screaming out with pain.
Farm manager …
Richard Maule-Oatway
“He was given fluids through a drip and barely moved on the bed except to cry out in pain.
“This farm should have been shut down earlier in August if kids tested positive for the bug then.”
Two-year-old twins Aaron and Todd Mock were also the worst-hit among 12 under-tens taken to hospital so far.
Last night both were on kidney dialysis machines at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London.
Twenty-four other children and adults have fought off the bug at home – amid fears of an epidemic because the infected farm was allowed to remain open for two weeks.
Yesterday Health Protection Agency officials admitted they were “possibly” wrong to advise owners they could carry on admitting up to 2,000 visitors a day.
The gates were belatedly padlocked on Saturday. Yesterday experts tested samples from animal pens to pinpoint the exact source of the E.coli.
Awful
Meanwhile goats frolicked on tables normally used by picnickers.
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The farm’s manager Richard Maule-Oatway said of the outbreak yesterday: “We feel we have done enough until we know the cause of the problem – then we can go from there.”
But the attraction’s owner – a silver-haired gran aged 70 – confessed: “I wish we’d closed sooner.”
Jackie Flaherty said at her home in nearby Woldingham: “We have always followed the advice given by the health authorities. I was horrified when we learned we had E.coli on the site and have felt steadily worse as the number of cases increased.
“It’s awful for the poor children and the families affected. All we can do now is co-operate with the authorities until we pinpoint the source of the problem.”
The mum of four added: “We’ve steadily built up the business at Godstone and are hoping the business won’t have been destroyed by this.
“I’ve been encouraged by a great many emails and messages of support from regular visitors who say they’ll be back as soon as we reopen.”