Today, Patricia Buck of Pine Township will address a national audience about the importance of food safety to prevent illness.

Mrs. Buck speaks from experience. In August, she lost her 2 1/2-year-old grandson, Kevin Kowalcyk, to hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, an outcome of E. coli 0157:H7 infection. The source of the deadly bacteria that infected Kevin has still not been traced.

"We're dealing with the loss of an adorable, well-loved little boy," said Mrs. Buck, who added that his parents are having trouble coming to grips with Kevin's death. "The type of death with E. coli is horrible."

Mrs. Buck is expected to be one of the speakers today at a national press conference in Washington, D.C., held by Safe Tables Our Priority -- or STOP -- and the Safe Food Coalition. STOP is a national victims group that aims to help the public and policy-makers understand the serious public health implications of foodborne disease, according to a news release.

Mrs. Buck had been visiting her daughter, Barbara, her son-in-law, Mike, and their two children, 5-year-old Megan and Kevin in Wisconsin when Kevin became ill.

Kevin's ordeal started with diarrhea, then progressed to bloody stools. His parents took him to emergency room at the nearest hospital, which was 40 minutes away. The next morning he still was not better and he was getting dehydrated. He was admitted to the hospital.

"Before the end of the day, they had the E. coli diagnosis," Mrs. Buck said.

Kevin's condition continued to worsen. His kidneys started to fail, and he was moved to the pediatric intensive care unit at the University of Wisconsin Medical Center. Less than a week after he started to show symptoms, the little boy was put on kidney dialysis.

"It was awful. He was in so much pain," Mrs. Buck said.

On top of that, Kevin couldn't have any water, because water would make the bacteria grow faster. Mrs. Buck said Kevin begged for water, and then a bath. When his bath arrived, he immediately started to suck on the wet washcloth because he wanted water so badly.

A few days later, Kevin was placed on a respirator. Because of the infection, he had swelled to almost three times his normal size.

But up until an hour and half before his death, doctors remained optimistic that he would overcome the infection. They even brought in other parents who had children who survived HUS.

Kevin passed away on Aug. 11, just four months before his third birthday.

"For Barbara and Mike, it was devastating," Mrs. Buck said. "It was a horrific death."

As part of her speech today, Mrs. Buck will encourage guidelines for safe food preparation and suggest that other recommendations be made by all public health offices, including avoiding serving ground meat to children under 7 during hot summer months, thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables before eating them, not eating alfalfa sprouts and using anti-bacterial hand lotions and soaps when visiting fairs, petting zoos and other events located near cattle or dairy cows in the humid months.

"I realize there are many issues surrounding food safety in this country, but since Kevin's death I realize that we need to work together because no 2 1/2-year-old should have to suffer this type of slow and horrific death because of food," Mrs. Buck said. "It is wrong for us as a society to continue to tolerate this situation."

If a person ingests a sufficient quantity of E. coli 0157:H7, the bacteria travels to their stomach and small intestines and then attaches itself to the inside surface of the large intestine, causing inflammation of the intestinal wall.

Symptoms of infection include sudden onset of abdominal pain, followed within 24 hours by diarrhea. Bloody diarrhea and vomiting may follow.

About 5 to 10 percent of those infected with E. coli develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, a severe, life-threatening complication in which the E. coli bacteria release toxins into the blood and can cause organ damage.

The biggest risk factor for acquiring E. coli bacteria is eating undercooked beef. Illness can be prevented by doing the following:

• Keep raw meat separate from other foods. Wash hands, counters and utensils with hot soapy water after they have touched raw meat.

• Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat to test the temperature. Wash meat thermometers in between tests.

• Drink only pasteurized milk or cider.

• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, especially those that will not be cooked. Children under five, people with weak immune systems and the elderly should not eat alfalfa sprouts, as some have been found contaminated with E. coli.

• Drink municipal water that has been treated with chlorine or other disinfectant.

• Avoid swallowing lake or pool water while swimming, especially in public facilities.

• Make sure that persons with diarrhea, especially children, wash their hands carefully after bowel movements. Wash your hands thoroughly after changing diapers. Anyone with diarrhea should avoid swimming in pools or lakes, sharing baths with others or preparing food for others.