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Playground safety concerns after student finds needle

Posted at 5:07 PM, Mar 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-03 15:20:08-04

A Central Texas family wants answers after their son found a needle on a school playground during recess and may have gotten pricked.

Now, those parents are now calling for better safety on all Killeen ISD school playgrounds.

"On Wed. March 7th, I got a call from Joe's nurse at Cavazos Elementary School," Shannon Tribout, Joe's mother, said. 

The nurse told Joe's parents he had hit his head at recess, but it was something else she said that caught their attention. 

"She also said, and by the way, he did pick up a needle on the playground and gave it to a teacher, but I don't think he was poked," Shannon added. 

Joe came home from school that day and told his parents how he found the needle.

"My friend stopped me from stepping on the needle because my shoe fell off and my sock was only on, and it was kind of facing upwards, but it was not really bent," seven-years-old, Joe, said. 

Luckily, Joe didn't step on the needle, but he picked it up to take it to a teacher.

When asked if he was poked by the needle, Joe responded, yes. He also pointed out the spot on his hand where he said he the needle poked him.

Joe's parents immediately took him to the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center on Fort Hood to be tested out of fear the needle was contaminated.

"They gave him anti-virals for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV," Shannon said. 

Joe's parents say he will have to be tested again every three months for the next year.

"It's scary thinking about your seven-year-old who should not have to worry about anything like that," Shannon added. 

The Tribout's want to make sure another family doesn't have to go through what they have. 

"I just hoped that they would put something out to parents, let them know that there was a student who picked up a needle on campus, or found a needle on campus even, and the parents have the opportunity to talk to their kids and let them know what to do in that situation," Shannon said. 

And they hope this is a learning experience for their son and the school district.

"My question is, why haven't you reached out and what is your plan of action?" Mark Tribout, Joe's father, said. 

Killeen ISD said all students and teachers will now go through presentations on playground safety including what to do if someone finds something dangerous like a needle.

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