8-Month-Old Baby Survives Fentanyl Exposure After Mother's Quick Action
An 8-month-old baby from South Jersey is recovering after a terrifying encounter with fentanyl inside her home, an incident her mother believes may be linked to a technician's visit earlier that day.
Mattie Collins of Pennsville, New Jersey, said she realized something was wrong with her daughter Greta on November 14.
"When I picked her up, she was nodding out," Collins said.
Alarmed, Collins immediately called 911 and ran to a neighbor for help. The neighbor, a paramedic, assisted while emergency responders arrived at the home. Paramedics administered Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.
"Immediately, she started crying," Collins recalled.
Collins then noticed what appeared to be a sticker on the floor near the thermostat. When she pointed it out to police, investigators advised her not to touch the item. Authorities later confirmed it was a fentanyl wax fold, stamped with a recognizable image of the Marvel character Venom.
"It literally looked like a kid's sticker," said Collins.
Earlier that day, Collins said an HVAC technician had been in the home to replace the family's heating unit. She suspects the technician may have accidentally dropped the wax fold near the thermostat.
According to Collins, the technician seemed to recognize her maiden name and asked about her brother. "That's when it came up that he used to do drugs with my brother," she said.
Police later executed a search warrant at the property and brought in drug-sniffing dogs to thoroughly examine the scene. The New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency became involved in the aftermath of the exposure. As part of a safety protocol pending toxicology results, Collins said her husband was not permitted to be alone with the children.
"Until they got our urine test, they had to do a safety plan, so he wasn't allowed home alone with his kids. And at one point, he was crying because he's like, 'This is totally unfair,'" Collins explained. Her husband, whom the family says has been sober for several years, later passed both a urine and a hair test, and the family was told the case would soon be closed.
A law enforcement source reported that the HVAC technician acknowledged he recognized both the item and the Venom label when questioned. However, the technician denied that he had dropped the fentanyl wax fold. Authorities said there is not enough evidence to file charges against him.
A lawyer representing the technician's employer stated that the company took immediate action once informed, but declined to provide additional details. Neither the technician nor the company is being identified, as no charges have been filed in the case.
Collins said that doctors do not expect Greta to suffer any long-term effects from the exposure.
"I look at her and then like, sometimes I do get emotional because it's like, she could not be here," said Collins.
The New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency has not responded to requests for comment. Meanwhile, Collins said her family is considering legal action against the HVAC company for negligence.