STERLING HEIGHTS (WWJ) - The parent of a first grader in Sterling Heights is livid after learning her daughter was jabbed by an unsanitary needle during an Earth Day activity.
Carla Vasquez said her 7-year-old child must now undergo blood testing every three months for the next year to make sure she did not contract anything from the needle prick.
According to Vasquez, officials with Margaret Black Elementary School in Sterling Heights notified her on Monday, April 24, that her daughter had been injured by a lancet during an Earth Day recycling event.
A lancet is used by diabetics to perform blood draws and test their glucose levels.
In a letter sent to parents from the Warren Consolidated School District, officials said students were sorting through recycled bottle caps, but the lancets had been accidentally mixed it.
A excerpt from the letter reads:
"After a review by a teacher, it was discovered that some of the boxes had plastic caps that are used to cover a lancet, which is a very small pin-like needle used by diabetics to prick their skin to draw a blood sample. Our investigation also revealed that someone likely had donated several of these lancet caps and must have inadvertently included the lancets themselves in the collection boxes."
Vasquez stated she was not aware that her daughter would be sorting through trash and there was no permission slip sent home to notify parents.
She told FOX2 that not knowing who was on the other end of the needle and not knowing if her daughter was a risk for a bloodborne illness has been nerve-racking.
"It’s a concern that doesn't just go away when we shut off the lights at night. It’s something I have to worry about for the next year," Vasquez said.
While the needle has been sent away for testing, Vasquez said the incident shattered her trust with the school.
"I will pull her from the school. She will not go back to that school next year," she told WXYZ.
According to district officials, the 7-year-old child and another student who may have been pricked were immediately assessed by the school nurse. They added that they have reached out to Vasquez and offered to pay for all her child's medical expenses.
The school district has ended the recycling program at this time, but according to WWJ's Charlie Langton, the measures may not be enough to stop a lawsuit which Vasquez said she is considering.