Valrico, Florida -- Another Bay area mother has come forward after seeing 10 News reports about problems with LA Fitness drop in day cares.
Stefany Curry and her husband recently moved to Valrico from New York and were new to the area last year when they considered joining the LA Fitness at 1930 State Road 60. It's near the corner of Brandon Boulevard and N. Valrico Rd.
The couple has four kids.
Stefany says she was excited about the new facility and the fact that they had a drop in daycare where she could leave her youngest children while she and her husband worked out. They day care, she says, had plenty of things for children to explore and climb on.
During their free seven-day trial membership, the couple decided to drop off their 3-year-old son Zayden and the couple's 8-month-old. But during a fitness class, workers at the gym asked them to return to the day care. Curry says they learned Zayden had been hurt in an accident while being looked after in the daycare.
"The girl from the day care in that first 10 minutes had said, 'Oh all the kids do it -- they all jump off the giant plastic frog.' She said he fell and cut his head open on the metal window frame that goes from the ceiling to the floor," Curry says.
Curry says her son was crying for her as her husband cradled him in his arms. The gash was deep she said, "I covered my eyes and I covered it back up and I was shaking I was so frantic at that moment."
Zayden was rushed to the hospital where he had to undergo several stitches. He continues to see a doctor for treatment to diminish the scar left from the 2 1/2-inch gash.
"I immediately thought, 'why would you let little children do that and why wouldn't it be padded. Why wouldn't this facility have finished this part of the area?' " Curry says.
10 News tried to get some answers to that question from a woman named Elsie the operations manager at the LA Fitness gym in Valrico. Elsie referred us to their corporate headquarters and asked us to turn off our camera which we did. 10 News has called and emailed several contacts at LA Fitness corporate offices for several days now, including the CEO Louis Welch and Jill Greuling, the vice president of operations.
Meanwhile, the Currys have hired Hunter Law Group to represent them. Their attorney Brian Motroni says they're in the process of trying to resolve the case with LA Fitness. Curry says they've incurred thousands of dollars in medical bills for Zayden's care. She says when they drive past the facility he points and says, "That's where I had my boo boo."
If you have a complaint against a business, you can contact Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services which functions as the state's clearinghouse for consumer complaints. The agency assists consumers with information, protection and complaints, regardless of whether they regulate the specific industry.
