FAMILY LOVE

Alot of moisture and the right amount of organic material in the soil and those pesky mushrooms begin spiraling up in various places in our yards.

But don’t be fooled by them, they can be deadly. After a lot of rain and cooler temperatures, mushrooms may begin to show themselves in our yards, and they may have the potential to kill.

When I see mushrooms popping up in my neighborhood or around town, my mind races back to an unforgettable afternoon I remember as if it was yesterday. That particular afternoon, my 4-year-old daughter was introduced to a mushroom growing on the borderline of our yard and our next door neighbor’s.

Two neighborhood boys, who were in the fourth or fifth grade, were walking by our yard. They knew my daughter, and my daughter knew them. They made a split-second decision to tell my then-4-yearold daughter that the mushroom growing in our yard was candy and suggested she take a bite. They pretended to take a bite themselves before handing it to her.

I’m sure they really did not know that the mushroom could have been potentially harmful and poisonous. They were out having fun, playing harmless tricks, or so they thought, on younger children in various ways.

My daughter knew them and didn’t have any reason not to trust them. So she took a bite of the mushroom. It happened before I could stop her from putting it in her mouth.

She took one bite and spit it out because it didn’t taste too good. With child and mushroom in tow, I ran inside and called our pediatrician.

The doctor told us that it most likely wasn’t poisonous and prescribed a medicine that would make her throw up any residue. After my husband raced to the store, got the medication and brought it to the house, we gave the medication to her thinking it would take care of any harm that might come from that one bite if it just might be poisonous.

She didn’t just throw up but also became lethargic and almost lifeless. She was perspiring profusely, and the perspiration had gone through a sheet, a blanket and her bedspread.

Another frantic call to the doctor, we were told to hurry to the emergency room because the symptoms were showing it was most likely poisonous. When we arrived, the nurse said she could not hear a heartbeat. My knees crumbled.

The doctor looked at us and said, “I have never treated a case with a poisonous mushroom. I have called all my colleagues, and they have not either, so I am doing what my medical book says to do.” Her clothes were cut off, and an antidote was administered.

My daughter was very quiet and very still through the night but was still breathing. We were allowed to stay by her bed in the intensive care unit all night, and we did not take our eyes off her. After a grueling night, we witnessed our daughter opening her eyes and immediately using her hands to cover her body because she was embarrassed about not having her pajamas on.

We knew then she was back, breathing and reacting. She even asked for some ice cream.

Upon her release from the hospital, we were told to watch for any longterm effects, but none ever showed up. We were so, so very grateful to God for granting her life and for Dr. William Haynie and his God-given skills to make her whole again.

Children are inquisitive and want to touch, taste and manipulate items they find in their environment. That is how they learn, so they touch and taste everything in which they come in contact with no ability to give thought of it being harmful. At a very young age, they don’t have the maturity to think through whether something might be harmful or not.

So be on alert for any potential mushrooms growing where your child or any other child could touch or taste them.

Share this inormation and you might save a life!

So parents be warned: Do not let your child touch or taste any mushroom that grows in your yard or anyone else’s yard. If you have several popping up, remove them and inquire about how to relieve your yard of them. They can be harmful to humans and to dogs, too. Understand that mushrooms found in your yard should not be burned nor put into a compost pile. Wear disposable gloves when removing them and put them in a plastic bag before disposing of them.

Dianne Glasgow is a family and child specialist at the LSU AgCenter in Caddo Parish.

She can be reached at dglasgow@agcenter.lsu.edu, 226-6805 or 464-2552.