Ivy Foster was enjoying the water at Christchurch, in Dorset, during early August when her parents noticed a "horrendous smell" as the tide receded. The family had been paddleboarding at Mudeford Quay, and her mother, Kimberley, became aware of the strong odor after the tide had gone out. They left the water immediately. However, later that week, Ivy fell seriously ill with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and a high fever. After being admitted to the hospital, tests confirmed she had an infection caused by the E. coli bacteria. Although she was given intravenous antibiotics right away, Ivy struggled to recover. This is not the first time she has been hospitalized—this was her latest admission, and doctors told her parents that the infection was resistant to standard antibiotics. Ivy has undergone scans and other tests to assess how much damage the infection may have caused to her kidneys. However, doctors say they cannot determine the long-term effects for several months. Her aunt, Sophie Piper, described how difficult the situation has been for Ivy. "Whenever a nurse or doctor comes near her, she just screams because she is frightened they are going to hurt her," Sophie said. She added, "She's a total water baby; when she's in it, she spends more time underwater swimming about than on the surface. She loves the water, which makes this all the more sad." Sophie shared that Kimberley, Ivy's mother, was unable to attend a public meeting about pollution in Christchurch Harbour. Kimberley wanted to attend to raise awareness about Ivy's illness and to question representatives from local organizations, including BCP, Wessex Water, and the Environment Agency. However, despite being given a reserved seat, staff at the meeting location refused to let her in, saying the venue was full. Kimberley was deeply upset but was not allowed to enter. At the meeting were the parents of eight-year-old Keeva Hollow, who became ill with a bacterial infection after swimming at Avon Beach in early August. Her mother, Aishling, said, "Keeva has recovered well, but poor Ivy is still very ill. It is very upsetting; I can't imagine what her family are going through." She added that it was shocking to learn that no one at the meeting was aware of what had happened to their daughters. Aishling called for someone to take responsibility and start looking for answers to protect other children. Sophie has started a GoFundMe campaign to help Ivy's parents, who are both self-employed. She explained that Ivy's father, Oliver, is a taxi driver, and Kimberley is a hairdresser. However, since Ivy became ill, they have been unable to work. "It's put huge pressure on them when they are trying to just concentrate on Ivy getting better," Sophie said. "One of them is either at the hospital with Ivy or at home with their other children, Archie and Poppy. The whole situation is just a total nightmare for them."