Nationwide — The family of a 4-year-old African American girl from Prichard, Alabama, who was found nearly unresponsive at school, is demanding answers after doctors discovered her blood alcohol content was 0.29. The child spent two days in intensive care but is now back home recovering.Mary Singleton, the child’s mom, says the school called her just minutes before dismissal on Monday. When she arrived, her daughter was limp and barely responsive.
“She was slobbering at the mouth, she was heavy, and the teacher handed her to me saying we probably needed to take her to the ER,” Mary told WLBT.
The girl was rushed to Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Mobile, where doctors confirmed the child had ingested a large amount of ethanol — a chemical found in hand sanitizers, perfumes, cleaning products, and more.
Her toxicology report showed a blood alcohol content of 0.29, which is dangerously high even for adults. She was admitted to the ICU and released two days later.
Albert Singleton, the girl’s father, said the experience was overwhelming. “It’s hard to deal with when you see your child walking into school and being carried out, you know, and you don’t have any idea what’s going on,” he said.
It remains unclear how the girl came into contact with ethanol or where she got it. Prichard Police are investigating and may turn the case over to the Child Advocacy Center.
Mobile County Public Schools have not yet responded to requests for comment.
The Child Advocacy Center reminded families to store ethanol-based products safely and said they’ve seen similar incidents in the past.