WARROAD, Minn. (KVLY/Gray News) – A Minnesota family is warning others after they say their child overdosed on methamphetamine during a hockey trip.
New toys, decorations and laughter are currently filling Blake Bengtson’s home.
His family says they are thankful to be celebrating their son’s 3-year-old birthday this month along with Christmas after a frightening experience.
The Bengston family said it all started with what was supposed to be a fun trip for a boys’ state hockey tournament in St. Paul, but it turned into a five-day nightmare trip.
“He started to shake,” Amanda Bengston said. “It almost looked like he was shivering, like he was cold. The shaking was getting worse.”
Blake’s father Ben Bengtson added, “That was when Amanda got my attention, like we need to go … we need to go right now.”
Ben and Amanda Bengston said they rushed their son to the hospital next door. He was having a seizure, one that would last for more than three hours. At the time, no one knew why it was happening.
“It was around midnight when they called us down to his room and said, ‘We found something,’” Amanda Bengston said.
And his parents said that something was meth.
“The fact that they were able to chalk it up to that was absolutely terrifying,” Amanda Bengston said. “We know for a fact it was something in our room because we hadn’t left.”
Blake’s parents said the police and social services were also contacted that night.
“Not only are you worried about your little one being safe and healthy, but then you’re starting to think, will you even be with them when you leave the hospital?” Ben Bengston said. “Those were the kind of things that start running through your head.”
By the time police could search the hotel room, days had passed. Many people had stayed and it had been cleaned, the boy’s parents said.
“We still to this day don’t exactly know where it came from or even what it looked like,” Amanda Bengston said. “I never saw anything particular that stood out.”
The family said Blake has been back home now months after the incident and he has been doing everything fine.
“That was one of those things that you unfortunately don’t think a whole lot about,” Ben Bengston said. “Now, through all of this, it makes you think differently about things.”
Amanda Bengston added, “These little ones, there’s no way to control what they find. Just be diligent and do a walkthrough if that’s what you need to do. Bring cleaning supplies, wipes, whatever. It’s just one of those things you never think will happen.”
Blake’s parents said they waited to share their story, in part, due to some ongoing legal issues with the hotel that have since been dropped.
They hope their story helps in spreading awareness about what a drug overdose can look like. It took only trace amounts of meth in Blake’s system for all of it to happen, the parents said.
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