This Is So Sad. Jason Said After Reading This It Made Winning All The Blogaronis Unimportant

Here we all are, moaning and groaning about budgets and what someone said or didn't say, worrying about fountains and squares. Folks, there are more important things to worry about: Don't let your kids play in ball pits. Please, don't let your children play in ball pits! Recently I received this email to my email address:

Hi. My name is Lauren Archer, my son Kevin and I lived in Midland,TN. On October 2nd, 1999 I took my only son to national fast food restaurant franchise for his 3rd birthday. After he finished lunch, I allowed him to play in the ball pit. When he started whining later on, I asked him what was wrong, he pointed to the back of his pull-up and simply said "Mommy, it hurts." I couldn't find anything wrong with him at that time. I bathed him when we got home, and it was at that point when I found a welt on his left buttock. Upon investigating, it seemed as if there was something like a splinter under the welt. I made an appointment to see the doctor the next day, but soon he started vomiting and shaking, then his eyes rolled back into his head. From there, we went to the emergency room. He died later that night. It turned out that the welt on his buttock was the tip of a hypodermic needle that had broken off inside. The autopsy revealed that Kevin had died from a heroine overdose. The next week, the police removed the balls from the ball pit. There was rotten food, several hypodermic needles: some full, some used; knives, half-eaten candy, diapers, feces, and the stench of urine.

If a child is not safe in a child's play area then where? You can find the article on Kevin Archer in the October 10,1999 issue of the Midland Chronicle.

Please forward this to all loving mothers, fathers and anyone who loves and cares for children!

Don't think it's just this nationally famous fast food restaurant chain either or that this is something that just started. When my oldest son who is now 9 was small the area's other nationally franchised fast food restaurant chain store closed their play area for awhile for "remodeling" because in another town there had been an incident similar to the one described above that happen at another area fast food restaurant. A little boy had been playing in a ball pit & started complaining of his legs hurting. He later died too. He was found to have snake bites all over his legs & buttocks. When they cleaned the ball pit they found that there was a copperhead nest in the ball pit. He had suffered numerous bites from a very posinous snake. I wouldn't let my son play in the ball pit after that. I was lucky even though that wasn't at our this fast food joint or that other fast food joint, it could have been. I still have my son. Please send this on so that it doesn't happen to someone you know.

Sent it to everyone again, received note that 2 did not receive it, to important not to send twice. If you have received it before sorry. PLEASE THIS IS IMPORTANT DO NOT DELETE: Don't let your children play in ball pits, you don't know what is lurking in them!