Ohio mom takes her 3yo to the toddler pool at Great Wolf Lodge. 5 hrs later, he’s violently sick, and she finds out what was allegedly in the water

A trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio, recently turned into a major ordeal for one mother after her toddler allegedly became violently ill following a visit to the facility. Vanessa Kleeberger shared her experience in a video on TikTok, which has already racked up nearly 1 million views. She explained that she took her six-year-old and three-year-old to the lodge on June 3 and June 4, but the vacation was cut short due to the health issues that followed.

When Kleeberger first arrived, she allegedly noticed the toddler section was closed. She claimed that she noticed a lifeguard checking the water, but it reopened quickly. She found it odd, but brushed it off.  “And of course, my three-year-old, like, that’s where he wanted to play because it’s a toddler section. So we started swimming around 2:00, and I would say by 7:00, my toddler is very sick,” she narrated. 

Kleeberger claimed they left immediately, but on the way home had to stop four or five times for him to use the bathroom. This was Wednesday, the 3rd of June. The symptoms persisted through the weekend. Monday, she said, came with high fever, lethargy, and no appetite. By the next Wednesday, he was vomiting continuously. Then, prompted by an alleged Facebook post about E.coli at the same facility, she called her doctor, who confirmed the symptoms matched.

The Great Wolf Lodge allegedly ignored her

Per Kleeberger, contacting Great Wolf Lodge was a frustrating experience. “I tell the lady our information. When we were there, what happened. And all she said was, ‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.’ And I was like, ‘So, like, now what?’ And she said, ‘well, let me confirm your reservation,’” she narrated in the video.  

The TikToker alleged, “So I gave her all my information, all the reservation information. Conveniently enough, she says to me, ‘oh, I don’t see you in our system.’ And I was like, well, look again, cause we were definitely there. And she’s like, well, without proof of reservation, we can’t file any claims.” It should be noted that we only have Kleeberger’s claims, which aren’t verified.

Kleeberger told her viewers, “So now I’m debating calling the Erie Health Department, because honestly, like, I don’t even want a refund. I don’t want credits to go back there, because, like, why would I go back there? However, I feel like it should be public knowledge, especially because other moms were coming forward with their children also having a coliform from their facility.” 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, E. coli is a group of bacteria that typically lives in the gut, but certain strains can cause infections if they enter the digestive tract. Some strains, like Shiga toxin-producing E. coli can cause severe illness. Symptoms of an E. coli infection often include watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, and fatigue. 

The bacteria can spread through contaminated water if it is ingested, which is a concern in public swimming areas. Interestingly, Michigan is also suffering an outbreak of explosive diarrhea from a waterborne pathogen. The Cleveland Clinic notes that healthcare providers usually monitor for dehydration rather than prescribing antibiotics for these specific infections, as certain medications can actually increase the risk of complications like kidney damage.

TikTok was filled with shared frustration. One user suggested, “If they have no proof you stayed there then you should easily be able to let the credit card company know that you don’t need to pay that and you need a refund because obviously you didn’t stay there.” 

Another user urged her to take action. They wrote, “debating on calling? girl call asap. handle that! if it were my kid’s that whole business would hate to see me coming because I am that voice for mine and I will scream until I’m heard. mama bear. no person on earth would get away with completely disregarding my kid’s and I and especially my kid’s being severely sick.”

Another commenter suggested a bigger action. They wrote, “Your doctor should have advised you to collect a stool sample and then test it for E. coli and if it’s positive they have to report it to the department of health in your county.” In a different instance, last year, a TikToker found a layer of mold under the broccoli display at his Albertsons.

For now, Kleeberger is focused on her son’s recovery. She shared that while he is on the mend, the illness has taken a toll on his body. She emphasized that she is not looking for a refund or credits, but rather wants to warn others. “If you are in the Ohio area and you’re thinking about going to the Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, zero out of 10, recommend.”