The mother of a boy with a rare, non-contagious disease who was kicked out of the pool at Gilroy Gardens, said she’s happy and positive after meeting with the park’s general manager.
Shannon Catalano met with park manager Barb Granter Friday and was told the park would have a day dedicated to bring awareness to Diffuse Cutaneous Mastocytosis, the childhood disease that causes blotches on her 2-year-old son’s body.
It would also give additional training to the park’s staff about handling situations such as the one that panicked some families around the pool, who called security worried that Wyatt’s disease might be contagious. FInally, the park will bring Wyatt and his mother to a meeting with staff to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.
“I feel positive about what they are doing and I think Barb (Granter) had a heartfelt response,” said Catalano. “I think this is moving forward in a very positive way.”
Last week Wyatt was in the pool when some parents complained. A security guard ordered him and his father to the park’s medical office. It was embarrassing for the family and his mother posted a sad message about the incident that went viral and reached thousands of Facebook users.
Response was mixed in feedback from users, ranging from those who said the family should alert people nearby that the disease isn’t contagious, to those who said the park overstepped the family’s rights and handled the situation inappropriately.
