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8 Children Taken To The Hospital After Experiencing Seizure-Like Symptoms During Church Concert


This is quite bizarre.

Eight children were taken to a hospital after suffering seizures during a church choir event in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

All eight children were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening symptoms.

Associated Press reported more details on what led to the seizures:

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Eight children at a church near Harvard University where a French youth choir was holding a concert suffered seizure-like symptoms and were taken to hospitals, possibly the result of fumes from cleaning supplies, officials said.

The symptoms were not life-threatening, the Cambridge Fire Department said in a news release. About 70 other people in attendance at the concert Tuesday evening at St. Paul’s Parish in Harvard Square were not affected.

The children, described as preteens and early teens, were doing fine Wednesday and were all released from local hospitals, according to the department. The Cambridge Fire Department’s hazardous materials team determined fumes in the building could have come from cleaning supplies used shortly before the first complaint, the department’s release said.

Crews first received a call about a child suffering from a seizure. When firefighters arrived, the child was sitting outside of the church but was not actively having a seizure, Fire Chief Thomas Cahill said.

“That quickly escalated into seven other people having seizure-like symptoms,” Cahill told WCVB-TV.

Here are some of the scenes of the incident:

The New York Post had more details to add on the children who were taken to the hospital:

Eight children who are part of a renowned French youth choir were rushed to a hospital in Massachusetts after they started mysteriously experiencing seizure-like symptoms during a church performance.

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The youngsters, ages 11 to 13, were giving the free performance at St. Paul’s Church in Cambridge on Tuesday night when one of them suddenly became sickened by a smell and had trouble breathing, authorities said.

By the time first responders arrived at the church, multiple other kids were also experiencing similar symptoms.

“It was a routine medical call that quickly escalated into transporting eight children to the hospital. Not common.”

A hazmat crew carried out a subsequent sweep of the building but no out-of-the-ordinary readings or smells were detected.



 

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