A local Englewood grandmother is speaking up after her granddaughter’s terrifying brush with fentanyl left the young girl unconscious and fighting for her life. The incident happened back in March 2026. Investigators say the child found a container on the bathroom sink at home and, not knowing what it was, took it with her to school. There, she swallowed a little of the white powder and collapsed soon after.
Now, the grandmother’s caring for her grandchildren and trying to process it all. She called the ordeal a nightmare that should never have happened. “I want every kid to know they’re going to be okay,” she said, her voice raw with concern.
Deputies later arrested the girl’s parents, charging them with child neglect resulting in bodily harm. Law enforcement called the situation “inexcusable,” pointing out that the fentanyl was just sitting out in the bathroom, easy for a child to find.
Doctors believe the child will recover, but plan to keep her under observation for a while longer. The grandmother went public to warn others, especially with accidental fentanyl poisonings among young kids on the rise. Recent reports say cases like this aren’t rare anymore; they’re skyrocketing.
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell didn’t mince words. “This could have ended very, very differently,” he said, grateful that the school nurse and staff acted so fast.
The grandmother’s priority now is her grandchildren’s recovery. But she insists awareness is crucial. Lethal drugs have no place in homes, she says, and accidents like this just don’t need to happen. As for the parents, they’re in custody. One bond sits at $25,000; the other, a staggering $450,000.
