MY NAME IS MILTON PLOGHOFT.
MY WIFE PASSED AWAY FROM SALMONELLA POISONING.
IT'S BEEN MORE THAN TWO YEARS.
IT WAS ACTUALLY MAY 1, 2010,
AND WE WENT TO A LOCAL RESTAURANT,
AND THEY WERE TERRIBLY CROWDED.
IT WAS MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND.
MY SON AND WIFE HAD A SPECIAL DINNER FOR TWO,
WHICH WAS THEIR FAVORITE.
THEY BOTH WERE AFFECTED
BY SALMONELLA POISONING.
SHE WAS TERRIBLY ILL.
SHE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL ON -- IT WAS A FRIDAY NIGHT.
WHEN MY WIFE WAS AFFECTED BY SALMONELLA,
THERE WERE 38 OTHER CASES THAT NIGHT IN THAT RESTAURANT.
IT WAS SEVEN WEEKS FROM THE TIME SHE WAS --
FROM THE TIME SHE ATE THIS SALMONELLA-INFECTED FOOD
TILL SHE PASSED AWAY.
THE ILLNESS OF SALMONELLA FOOD POISONING
IS TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY PAINFUL.
MY SON, WHO WAS AFFECTED --
ON SATURDAY MORNING, WHEN I CALLED 911
TO TAKE HER TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM,
HE WAS UNABLE TO GET OUT OF BED TO EVEN ASSIST ME,
BECAUSE I FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS SITTING
IN A COMFORTABLE CHAIR -- SHE'D MADE IT OUT THERE.
SHE WAS TALKING ON THE PHONE TO OUR DAUGHTER IN CHICAGO,
AND THE PHONE FELL OUT OF HER HAND.
AND I COULDN'T -- I COULDN'T -- I COULDN'T WALK HER TO THE DOOR.
THE AMBULANCE PEOPLE CAME IN AND --
BUT MY SON WAS -- HE WAS SO WEAK,
JUST 12 HOURS AFTER THE EATING
OF THIS SALMONELLA-AFFECTED STUFF,
THAT HE COULDN'T GET OUT OF BED.
AND SHE WAS IN WORSE SHAPE.
AND SHE PASSED AWAY ON JUNE 22nd
FROM THE COMPLICATIONS OF SALMONELLA.
THE -- THE REAL STRESS ON THE FAMILY
WAS SEVEN WEEKS OF DAILY TIME IN THE HOSPITAL.
WE INCURRED A HOSPITAL BILL AT RIVERSIDE OF $102,000.
AND I THINK PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT
SHOULD SURE AS HECK BE AWARE OF THE FACT
THAT UNDER CONDITIONS OF PRESSURE OF BUSINESS
THAT THERE'S ALSO A PROBLEM THAT CAN ARISE
BECAUSE OF OVERTAXING THE FACILITIES,
CUTTING DOWN ON THE COOKING TIME,
THINGS THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT,
BECAUSE IT COULD BE EASY FOR PEOPLE
TO RUSH AND SERVE SOMETHING
THAT HAD NOT BEEN HELD AT PROPER TEMPERATURE,
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
I THINK THAT IF YOU CAN ENROLL
A NUMBER OF FOOD ORGANIZATIONS,
FOOD-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS,
IN THE TASK OF HELPING THEIR WORKERS
BECOME AWARE OF THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE,
BESIDES THE PROFIT MOTIVE,
THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF THEIR WORK,
WHICH IS TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY IMPORTANT,
BECAUSE THEY HOLD THE WELFARE OF MANY PEOPLE IN THEIR HANDS.
PART OF THE FRUSTRATION WITH FOOD POISONING
IS THAT YOU KNOW -- THAT YOU KNOW IT DIDN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN.
THAT'S THE THING THAT IS REALLY STRESSFUL,
THAT YOU KNOW IT DIDN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN.