A Minneapolis kindergartner has been hospitalized after consuming what her family called "poisonous candies" given to her by a classmate. The mother, Rachel Hodges, spoke to local outlet on Thursday, May 9, 2024, about the incident. She shared that she received a phone call from her daughter's school, Nellie Stone Johnson Elementary School, on May 6, 2024.
The school informed the mother that her daughter Da'Kyah was shaking, having trouble walking, and acting bizarre. Once the child had thrown up and started having what appeared to be seizures, Hodges rushed to pick her daughter up from school and take her to the emergency room.
"She didn't know who I was," Hodges recalled. "She didn't know my mom. She has a twin, she didn't know him." In a video of the young girl, she was seen shaking and appearing out of it.
According to the mother, doctors told her that Da'Kyah wasn't having a seizure, yet the kindergartner’s episodes continued on and off. "I've never even seen a child act that way," Hodges said, adding that her daughter also experienced hallucinations and mood changes. "And it's just sad, because she's scared of me, and I'm her mom."
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Da'Kyah was eventually able to share her version of what happened. "But she pranked me," the child explained, referring to her classmate. "After I ate them, she said, 'Ha, just kidding. They're poisonous candies.' My body was hurting and yeah, it was scary."
Authorities also made observations of the young child. "The police looked in her eyes," Hodges said. "They seen that she was dilated. Her eyes were crossed and bugged really big, and they knew she had to have ingested something she shouldn't have."
The kindergartner's case has been shared with local Child Protective Services. "In accordance with normal procedure for processing a report involving young children, this case has been referred to Child Protective Services (CPS)," a Minneapolis police spokesperson said. "MPD will continue to partner with CPS as this case moves forward."
The school district also spoke out in a statement. “Minneapolis Public Schools prioritizes the safety of all of our students and takes all concerns related to safety seriously. Due to data privacy laws, we are unable to disclose specific details relating to this incident; however the matter is being investigated, and we are working closely with those who are directly impacted.”
Principal Kelly Wright of the elementary school also added in a statement to parents that “the safety and well-being of our students is always our top priority.”
“While we are unable to share additional information regarding those concerns due to state and federal data privacy laws, please know that we are taking this matter very seriously and are actively looking into the concerns that have been raised."
"But why did they not consult the child that gave her the 'candy'???" one person commented on the situation.
"The parents of the child who gave her poison should be arrested and sentenced to jail time," another person said. "Hope this innocent child makes a full recovery."
