Summer is just about the perfect time to hang out at the beach, and many are enjoying days spent with the sand and the surf.
But as it turns out, there may be dangers lying in wait there that you may not be aware of.
A mother based in Memphis, Tennessee is now putting a warning out to other parents about the potential risks of spending time on the beach due to an incident that occurred in June, where her son was buried for fun in the sand and wound up with a parasitic hookworm.
Kelli Mulhollen Dumas posted a message to other parents after her teenage son, Michael Dumas, contracted hookworm while on a missionary trip with 17 other young men from his church.
It was meant to be a fun teen gathering out on Pompano Beach in Miami, Florida. After having fun burying each other in the sand and playing around, they headed back home – but unfortunately, they brought something with them.
Michael, along with four of his friends, found that they had contracted hookworms in their feet.
Michael had to worst case out of all of them, and his mother – who is a dentist and has a degree in biology – took to Facebook to issue her warning.
Despite her background in science, finding out about her son’s condition sickened and horrified her to no end; as a mother, the incident was very hard to deal with for her.
The parasitic worms were duplicating within Michael’s body and growing fast.
A trip to the pediatrician revealed that Michael’s total medication – which includes Ivermectin, Albenza, Clindamycin, and a steroid dose pack – total $1356 even with insurance.
They were a mere six pills, but the cost was heavy on the family.
Doctors found several hookworms making their way around the space beneath Michael’s skin, including one three inches long – a shocking size for these creatures.
The parasites have caused Michael a lot of pain, and he’s had to undergo a cryotherapy session that was even more painful on top of his numerous medications.
During the session, Michael could even feel the worms moving beneath his skin as a doctor moved to torch the ones between his toes.
When Dumas reached out to Pompano Beach’s Health Department, the family’s concerns and reports were dismissed as staff informed them that everyone was well aware that it’s necessary to wear shoes on the beach in order to avoid parasites.
Naturally, Dumas was shocked and informed them that this wasn’t as common knowledge as they might think – hence her decision to post their story on Facebook to raise awareness of the issue.
Hookworms are able to infiltrate the body through the feet when barefooted individuals trod on soil, sand, or ground that has fecal contamination.
Those who have been infected may experience symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss, pain in the abdomen, a loss of appetite, fatigue, and even anemia.
Michael is currently on the road to recovery from this incident. He’s undergone four sutures and will likely have permanent scarring.
Dumas hopes that others will learn from this mistake, wear footwear on the beach, and avoid playing games that involve being buried in the sand!
