Aspen Lamfers: Family Files Lawsuit After Child Gets Brain Damage From Wendy’s Food

On August 1, 2022, Aspen Lamfers, who was eleven years old at the time, went to a Wendy’s restaurant in Jenison, Michigan, as part of her regular routine after softball practice. She went for the “Biggie Bag,” which is a combo meal that comes with fries, chicken nuggets, and a burger. Sadly, Aspen’s condition did not get better after consuming this supper, which had grave medical repercussions that fundamentally altered her life.

Three days following Wendy’s visit, Aspen began to show symptoms of gastrointestinal distress, including fever, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain. Blood was discovered in her stools on August 6, suggesting that her condition had become worse. Her mother had to take her to the hospital as soon as possible so that she could be evaluated and treated since these distressing symptoms required that she be seen immediately. Aspen’s severe stomach pain worsened in the days that followed, even after her initial gastrointestinal issues were resolved and she was discharged from the hospital.

However, Aspen’s health deteriorated so much on August 11 that a pediatric hospital admitted her to its critical care unit, where she was treated for renal failure with emergency dialysis. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a dangerous and sometimes deadly condition characterized by kidney failure and often caused by an infection with Escherichia coli that generates Shiga toxin, was identified during a medical evaluation, according to Mirror’s report.

Aspen’s illness began with more neurological symptoms, including asymmetric facial characteristics, unilateral weakness, and terrible migraines. Alarming findings from neurological examinations conducted while she was in the hospital included cerebral edema in the right hemisphere of her brain and decreased brain activity.

Aspen’s medical journey after her serious illness was challenging, including repeated seizures and extended hospital stays until her ultimate discharge on September 9, according to Mirror. Aspen started an intense physical, occupational, and speech therapy program as soon as she was discharged from the hospital in an effort to maximize her functional outcomes and reduce the long-term impacts of her disease.

Aspen’s post-illness trajectory has been characterized by persistent physical weakness and cognitive impairment, even with the steadfast support of her social and academic networks and the focused efforts of her medical experts. Her ongoing struggles with motor weakness and cognitive deficits demonstrate the long-term consequences of her illness on her quality of life and ability to go about her daily life.

Aspen’s family has begun a robust legal defense in the context of her protracted medical trip, which includes a lawsuit seeking damages for the claimed carelessness of the Wendy’s establishment that is connected to her sickness, according to Mirror. The £16.1 million lawsuit draws attention to the serious effects of Aspen’s illness and the need of addressing the structural problems that lead to its beginning and persistence.