An eight-month-old baby is recovering after a life-threatening exposure to fentanyl in her home in Pennsville, New Jersey, last month. The incident, which occurred on November 14, 2023, highlights the dangers associated with fentanyl, particularly in environments where children are present. Quick action by the child’s mother, Mattie Collins, played a crucial role in saving her daughter, Greta.
Collins noticed Greta was in distress and exhibited signs of lethargy. “When I picked her up, she was nodding out,” Collins recounted. Recognizing the emergency, she immediately called 911 and sought help from a neighbor who is a paramedic. Responding emergency personnel administered Narcan, a medication designed to reverse opioid overdoses. “Immediately, she started crying,” Collins said, reflecting the relief that followed the intervention.
Upon investigation, Collins discovered what appeared to be a sticker on the floor, which police later identified as a fentanyl wax fold branded with the Marvel character Venom. “It literally looked like a kid’s sticker,” she expressed, emphasizing the potential danger that such items pose to unsuspecting children.
Collins reported that an HVAC technician had been at their home on the same day to replace the family’s heater. She speculated that the technician might have inadvertently dropped the fentanyl wax fold near the thermostat. This suspicion arose after the technician recognized Collins’ maiden name and indicated he had past drug-related associations with her brother. “That’s when it came up that he used to do drugs with my brother,” Collins stated.
In response to the incident, local police executed a search warrant at the Collins home and brought in drug detection dogs. The New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency became involved in the case. Collins mentioned that her husband faced temporary restrictions regarding his access to their children due to his acknowledged history of drug use, despite being sober for several years. “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 recalled.
Following the completion of urine and hair tests, the results returned negative, allowing the family to breathe a sigh of relief. Authorities informed them that the case would be closed. A law enforcement source revealed that the HVAC technician acknowledged recognizing the fentanyl fold but denied responsibility for dropping it. Authorities concluded there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges against him.
The technician’s employer, while acknowledging the seriousness of the incident, opted not to provide further details. A lawyer representing the company stated that they took immediate action but did not elaborate on what that involved. Neither the technician nor the company has been publicly named as no formal charges have been filed.
Collins expressed hope for her daughter’s future, noting that Greta is not expected to suffer long-term effects from the incident. “I look at her and then like, sometimes I do get emotional because it’s like, she could not be here,” she said, reflecting on the gravity of the situation.
While the Division of Child Protection and Permanency has not responded to inquiries from local media, Collins mentioned the family’s consideration of legal action against the HVAC company for negligence. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing dangers posed by fentanyl exposure, especially to vulnerable populations such as young children.
