An Orlando family says their vacation at Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa took a terrifying turn when their 1-year-old child, identified only as "M.S." in court records, allegedly put a drug-laced spoon in his mouth and ended up in the hospital. According to a lawsuit filed yesterday, the incident happened during a May 2024 stay, after which the toddler became unresponsive and was rushed for emergency medical care. The suit seeks more than $50,000 in damages.
What the lawsuit alleges
The court complaint, posted on Scribd, states that M.S. was staying with family at Westgate Lakes in May 2024 when he located a spoon underneath the sink within the cabinet area of their unit. The filing says he put the spoon in his mouth, became unresponsive, and was transported to a hospital. It further alleges that testing revealed a toxic substance believed to be fentanyl both in the child's system and on the spoon itself.
ClickOrlando first reported the lawsuit on Friday and linked to the civil complaint. That report notes the family is represented by a Miami law firm and is seeking more than $50,000 in damages on behalf of M.S.'s mother, April Bates.
Why fentanyl is especially dangerous for children
Public health data has repeatedly flagged fentanyl as especially risky for young children because only a tiny amount can be life-threatening. A study in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse found that nonfatal pediatric fentanyl exposures reported to U.S. poison centers jumped from 69 cases in 2015 to 893 in 2023, a 1,194.2% increase. America's Poison Centers notes that most pediatric poisonings happen at home, highlighting how dangerous it can be when drugs or drug paraphernalia are left anywhere a curious toddler can reach.
Legal claims and damages
The lawsuit frames the case as negligence, alleging that the resort failed to properly inspect and clean the kitchen cabinet and sink area, did not remove the contaminated spoon, and did not ensure that the room was free of hazardous substances. The complaint names Westgate Lakes, LLC and Westgate Lakes Owners Association, Inc. as defendants, requests a jury trial, and seeks damages in excess of $50,000. The filing lists e-file number 243741348 in Orange County Circuit Court, and the document is available on Scribd.
Resort response and next steps
The ClickOrlando coverage notes that Westgate did not provide a statement for its initial report and that no comment from resort representatives was included. The family's attorneys filed the case through a Miami law firm, and the lawsuit will now move through the Orange County civil docket as the court schedules deadlines and any initial hearings.
What parents should know
If there is any suspicion that a child has been exposed to a drug, guidance from America's Poison Centers is clear: call 911 immediately, then contact Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for expert advice. Clinicians warn that fentanyl can quickly trigger life-threatening respiratory depression in toddlers, which is why rapid emergency care is critical.
