Jayne Forgie’s son was visiting a friend in Rutledge Park on Monday afternoon and had just settled down in the grass when he felt a sharp pain in his back.
He had been pricked by a discarded needle.
“Once he texted and told me, I was freaked out and angry that this happened,” Forgie said in an interview with Victoria Buzz.
“But I calmed down today. He’s a very responsible and mature 15 year old. He handled it well.”
Forgie says her son was taken to Royal Jubilee Hospital for blood tests, and will need to return for additional tests in approximately three weeks.
In the meantime, she is calling on local leaders to take action and is working to educate herself and the public about hazards posed by discarded needles.
“I’m trying to educate myself about these things so that I can help prevent it happening to others,” Forgie says.
“I want to find out what’s being done, how it can be improved, how I can help, what can be done to inform other people.”
She has written to both Victoria and Saanich mayors and councils. So far, one council member has written back to her.
Forgie stressed that she wants to use this incident to contribute to a solution, not to point fingers.
“I don’t want to blame one set of people,” she said. “But I think it’s something that needs to be addressed more. The more we hear about it, then action might be taken a little bit quicker.”
While she waits to hear back from civic officials and her son’s doctor, Forgie is warning other members of the public to be cautious and vigilant.
“Maybe we’ve been a little bit blind thinking ‘this won’t happen to me.’ It can happen to anyone. So just be aware. The more we educate ourselves, the better.”
Island Health’s website has information on what to do if you discover an improperly discarded needle, and what to do if you are pricked by one.
They emphasize that the risk of infection from an accidental needle stick is rare.
