Houston Woman Warning Others By Sharing a Chilling Story About a Napkin That was Left on Her Car Door
It was a birthday that one Houston woman will always remember—but for all the wrong reasons.
Erin Mims is a local business owner in the Houston area and she's sharing a recent horrible experience in hopes that it will educate and warn others.
Mims and her husband Bobbie Marshall stepped out for her birthday on Tuesday, celebrating over brunch and tacos at the Willowbrook location of Prospect Park. As they were leaving the birthday brunch, Mims noticed a napkin stuffed in her door handle. She pulled the napkin out with her acrylic nails and tossed it away.
Once in the car, she asked her husband about the napkin but "he said he didn't put a napkin there." Soon, her fingertips began to tingle.
My fingertips started tingling. In my mind I’m thinking I’m just overreacting
When Mims discarded the napkin, she didn't touch it, but she did grab the door handle.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My chest started hurting, I was getting hot flashes, my heart was racing, just a whole bunch of stuff. I told my husband that I didn’t feel well
Her symptoms went from bizarre to alarming in an instant and instead of heading to the spa, Mims was being rushed to a hospital by her husband. Once she arrived at HCA Houston Healthcare she realized what she was experiencing was even worse than she thought.
After running tests and flushing out her system, Mims said a doctor told her she suffered acute poisoning, but because there wasn’t much of it in her system, they couldn’t identify the substance.
Mims couldn't believe that someone would do something like this.
It’s crazy. It just makes me think that we’re not safe and that there are some crazy people going out in the world doing things. I could’ve died. I have my children and my husband.
Apparently, she wasn't the only one.
Someone reached out to me and let me know it wasn’t just my car but they saw it on multiple cars. It just makes me watch my surroundings. I can read lips now. Whatever it is I’m paying attention.
Along with her heightened sense of awareness, Mims felt like it was important to share what happened so that others would know what to do if they ran into a random napkin stuffed into their door handle. Mims got emotional as she thought about the worst-case scenario.
What if my husband wasn’t there to bring me to the hospital immediately? What would’ve happened?
Both Mims and Marshall believe that whatever was on the napkin transferred onto the door handle and subsequently entered her body.
Houston PD is currently investigating the incident as a possible assault and anyone with information is encouraged to come forward.
HCA Houston Healthcare released the following statement.
If anyone feels like they have been exposed to a poisonous substance, signs and symptoms may include burns or redness, breath that smells like chemicals, vomiting, difficulty breathing, drowsiness and confusion or an altered mental state. They should seek emergency medical treatment or call 911 immediately, especially if they are having difficulty breathing, are restless, drowsy or experiencing seizures.
Individuals can call Poison Control at 800-222-1222 or go to poison.org if they suspect poisoning and need help. Poison Control can help with first aid measures.
Mims and her husband Bobbie were back to work at their hair salon on Thursday, but looking back on the incident, she admits that "she wasn't sure she was going to make it."
See her full video here.