Abbotsford mom Amanda Broad says the last 72 hours have been like living a nightmare.
On Monday, her 11-year-old son Caleb was almost finished his day at school when he started to feel numbness in his arm.
“My son was experiencing some numbness and tingling in his left arm, and then the symptoms crept up to the left side of his face,” Broad said.
She said Caleb complained to his teacher at Abbotsford Middle School, but Broad said she felt the whole thing wasn't treated that seriously.
It was near the end of the day when the boy reported the numbness, so Caleb stayed until the bell.
Broad said she feels the school should have called her and kept Caleb there until his parents arrived to pick him up, a policy she says is listed on the school's website. Instead, her son started walking home alone.
“On his way home from school, he got so disorientated he got lost.” Broad said.
Caleb used a cellphone to call his mother. She said when he told her where he was, she realized he'd been walking for 15 minutes in the opposite direction from their home.
The boy was taken to a doctor, and the family was told he needed bloodwork, an emergency CT scan and transport to BC Children’s Hospital.
Broad said her son did not suffer a stroke, but was instead diagnosed with a rare and serious migraine.
She is no longer angry at Caleb’s teacher for sending him home alone, but is questioning why school protocol wasn’t followed.
“Even the protocol on the school’s website states, if a child is ill, or in an emergency, the child’s parents should be called and he should not be allowed to leave school property and none of those protocols were followed,” Broad said.
The Abbotsford School District refused an interview but provided the following statement:
“The school district is aware of the reported incident at Abbotsford Middle School. We are actively working with our school administration to examine the situation to ensure that district policies for managing student emergencies and health incidents are properly followed. We will continue to do our best to provide a safe place for our children to grow and learn.”
