I will never forget my 9^th birthday. My family was celebrating with a trip to California. What a birthday present! I was so excited! But while on the trip my stomach started to hurt. Everyone thought I was just hungry but a few hours later I had diarrhea with blood in it. My mom knew that something was really wrong.  We had to stop our trip and go back to our hotel because my stomach hurt so bad. I remember my mom calling my doctor in Las Vegas and telling her what was going on. My doctor told my mom to give me lots of fluids and I would be fine, but I just got worse.

After a long and painful process I was admitted to UCSF Children's hospital. My kidneys began to fail and I had to go on dialysis. I somehow had contracted E. coli O157:H7 which developed into Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (Kidney Failure.) In addition, I had hallucinations, temporary loss of my vision, high blood pressure, diabetes, and had fluid build up in my lungs and my heart. This was so scary for me. I was only just turning 9!

On my 10th day in the hospital my doctors told my family that I might not make it. I know it was so hard for them to watch me suffer. There was nothing they could do. Thankfully I did recover after 35 days in the hospital. My mom says I was a fighter!

All of this happened to me because I tried to eat healthy. I had eaten spinach that was contaminated. You may have heard about the outbreak. With all I went through, I was one of the lucky ones. My family decided to do something about FDA regulated foods in our country. We didn't want anyone else to have to go through what we did.

Only a few years after my illness, my family found Safe Tables Our Priority. S.T.O.P.  invited me to join them in Washington DC to tell my story and advocate for better FDA food laws. Imagine - me in DC talking with my Congressmen and Senator Reid! (See the picture.)

After two trips to DC this year some changes are starting to happen. A good bill passed the House of Representatives in July but has yet to pass the Senate. There is so much more to do and I need your help to do it.  Please take a minute and sponsor S.T.O.P.'s “Rylee Goes to Washington” Campaign and help S.T.O.P. and me make all FDA regulated foods safe to eat.

Safe eating to you all,

Rylee