--- title: A Botulism Story With A Happy Ending date: 2008-06-09T11:33:55-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/a-botulism-story-with-a-happy-ending" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Outbreaks](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) / # A Botulism Story With A Happy Ending Four-month old Nicholas Jameson of Minneapolis is going to continue growing up thanks to his quick-acting Mom, Samantha, and expert medical care. Botulism nearly took his young life. Over Memorial Day, Nicholas was having trouble breathing and Samantha took him immediately to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis for apparent respiratory failure. The next day, however, doctors at Children’s diagnosed Nicholas with botulism. **Fox9**, the Fox TV affiliate in the Twin Cities told the happy-ending story: > *A week later, Nicholas had made a miraculous recovery. Dr. Ken Maslonka, the head of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unity at Children’s, was surprised. “He came off the ventilator much faster than any of us thought he would for sure.”* > *The family is still trying to figure out where Nicholas could have caught the bacteria. The only explanation seems to be the backyard where the family had been gardening days before. Botulism spores can live in soil.* > *Samantha is unsure how it may have happened, because Nicholas wasn’t playing in the dirt. But she theorizes that the bacteria may have become airborne while she was digging and Nicholas may have ingested it.* > *Doctors say the family’s fast reaction is what saved Nicholas’ life.* You can find the Fox9 story [here.](http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=6707546&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1) > ### Other Botulism Lawsuits [By Heart Infant Formula tied to Botulism Outbreak spikes to 51](https://marlerclark.com/by-heart-infant-formula-tied-to-botulism-outbreak) [Botulism Outbreak at Valley Oak Food and Fuel](https://marlerclark.com/botulism-outbreak-at-valley-oak-food-and-fuel) [Marler Clark Files Two Botulism Lawsuits](https://marlerclark.com/marler-clark-files-two-botulism-lawsuits) ### Lawsuit updates about foodborne illnesses [Reactive Arthritis Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=reactive-arthritis&year=all) [E. coli Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=e-coli&year=all) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome 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The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [What is Botulism?](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/what-is-botulism) Botulism is a life-threatening paralytic illness caused by neurotoxins produced by an anaerobic, gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium—Clostridium botulinum. Botulism is a rare disease and only affects a few hundred persons each... ###### [Epidemiology and Microbiology of Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/epidemiology-and-microbiology-of-botulism) C. botulinum bacteria and spores are widely distributed in nature because they are indigenous to soils and waters. They occur in both cultivated and forest soils, bottom sediment of streams... ###### [Symptoms of Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/symptoms-of-botulism) After their ingestion, botulinum neurotoxins are absorbed primarily in the duodenum and jejunum, pass into the bloodstream, and travel to synapses in the nervous system. There, the neurotoxins cause flaccid... ###### [Detection and Treatment of Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/detection-and-treatment-of-botulism) Although botulism can be diagnosed based on clinical symptoms, distinguishing it from other diseases is often difficult, especially in the absence of other known persons affected by the condition. Common... ###### [Botulism Outcomes and Long-Term and Permanent Injury](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/botulism-outcomes-and-long-term-and-permanent-injury) In the past 50 years, mortality from botulism has fallen dramatically (from about 50% to 8%) because of advances in supportive care, which is the mainstay of treatment. The respiratory... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)