In Colorado, a once healthy 15-year-old girl has been left battling severe kidney damage, reportedly after indulging in her favorite McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with cheese. Kamberlyn Bowler, a Grand Junction High School freshman and an avid softball player, now faces an uncertain future after contracting a life-threatening E. coli infection.

Bowler’s ordeal began in mid-October, when she started experiencing flu-like symptoms, complete with high fever and sharp stomach pains. Her mother, Brittany Randall, initially dismissed it as a seasonal bug or a typical stomach virus. “We both thought it was just the flu or something — a stomach bug,” Bowler recounted. However, her symptoms rapidly intensified, soon including bloody vomiting and diarrhea, which terrified the young girl and her family.

Their local physician suspected her appendix might be the culprit and recommended a trip to the ER. But after scans revealed nothing unusual, the family returned home. As the days went by, however, Bowler’s symptoms worsened. “By day six, she said, ‘Something’s not right. I don’t feel good. I need to go back to the hospital,’” Randall recalled. This second trip to the hospital unveiled a much more alarming diagnosis: kidney failure triggered by a severe E. coli infection.

Bowler was ultimately diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a rare yet severe complication caused by enterohemorrhagic E. coli, which had attacked her kidneys. The teen was rushed 250 miles by air to Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, where she began an urgent 10-day course of dialysis in a desperate attempt to save her kidneys. Now, Bowler’s future remains uncertain as doctors evaluate the extent of the damage.

According to her mother, Kamberlyn had eaten at McDonald’s several times in the weeks before she fell ill, favoring her usual order of a Quarter Pounder with cheese and extra pickles. She is now one of at least 75 people who allegedly became ill from consuming McDonald’s food contaminated with E. coli, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reporting that 22 of these cases have required hospitalization. Of the 11 cases confirmed in Mesa County, where Bowler lives, one person has died.

Reflecting on the horror of her daughter’s condition, Randall said, “It’s been a roller coaster from the time that we’ve gotten here until now. Every day has been new tests or new things that pop up, or it’s basically watching her body just not work.”

While Bowler’s kidneys are finally showing early signs of functioning again, the lasting impact on her health remains unknown. Her mother added, “She went from being super healthy and no issues at all to possibly kidney damage for her whole life.”

Bowler’s family, like many others affected by this crisis, is preparing to take legal action against McDonald’s. Several lawsuits have already been filed, with food poisoning attorney Ron Simon representing Bowler and dozens of others from across 10 states. Simon noted, “It’s going to be a lot more cases in this outbreak than 75.”

Following the CDC’s announcement of the outbreak, McDonald’s restaurants experienced a sharp decline in visits. The day after the federal health warning, customer traffic dropped by 6.4% nationally and plummeted by 24% in Colorado alone. By Friday, the figures were even worse, with a 10% drop across the country and a staggering 33% dip in Colorado.

McDonald’s has since pulled Quarter Pounders from its menus but announced plans to reintroduce them this week without the suspected slivered onions. The Colorado Department of Agriculture reported that a sample of McDonald’s beef patties tested negative for E. coli, but the company’s reputation has already suffered a heavy blow.

In a statement, McDonald’s called Bowler’s story “devastating” and emphasized that customer well-being is their “top priority.” But for the Bowler family and the many others affected, no words can undo the damage done. As Kamberlyn begins a long road to recovery, her family holds out hope for healing — and for justice.