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Spendgo CEO and founder Ivan Matkovic's 10-month-old infant was found to have overdosed on fentanyl, in an incident that took place on Tuesday, November 29, 2022.
The infant, Senna and his twin, Anton, along with their nanny Wendy Marroqui, were at a local playground. Fortunately, as soon as she realized, Wendy took immediate action and called 911. Senna was kept under observation for several hours before being discharged.
Police mentioned that they usually deal with fentanyl on the streets, but not at family parks. They also asked parents to be cautious about the fine, colored powder. The source of the exposure is yet to be determined.
Tech boss Ivan Matkovic’s infant ingests fentanyl
The 35-year-old Spendgo CEO Ivan Matkovic has 10-month-old twins Senna and Antun. The kids were at George Moscone Park in the Bay Area with their nanny on Tuesday, where she noticed Senna going unconscious and turning blue.
Marroqui spoke to WRAL News and said that she felt like something was wrong and shook him. That was when she saw his face and said that he was dizzy, and she believed that he wasn't breathing.
According to Ivan Matkovic and his wife Kerina, the twins are usually curious and often put leaves in their mouths out of inquisitiveness.
Wendy mentioned that she had initially called Ivan to tell him that Senna was not breathing well, and was getting dizzy. She also reportedly told him that she was about to administer CPR before calling emergency services.
The San Francisco Fire Department reportedly received a distress call at about 3 pm local time.
The department’s spokesperson said:
“San Francisco Fire and Paramedics arrived on the scene in 2 minutes, provided life-saving measures, and revived the patient, who was transported to a local emergency room and is recovering.”
Paramedics soon arrived at the park to provide aid to the baby. Initially, they found nothing blocking Senna’s ability to breathe. They administered him with a drug called Narcan that helps reverse the impact of any kind of fentanyl overdose.
As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the baby immediately started breathing normally and crying. Ivan Matkovic’s 10-month-old infant was then taken to the hospital, and tests were run on him. He was kept under observation for about six hours, after which Senna was released.
A search to track any traces of drugs was done in the park that same evening. According to the Department of Parks and Recreation, authorities found no traces of drugs or paraphernalia at Moscone Park. Police also said that a possible source of that drug could be in a powder form, however, it is difficult to find.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors responded to the incident. One of the members, Catherine Stefani said,
“Patrols will be stepped up in the area… I'm very grateful that our @SFFDPIO and EMTs arrived quickly and took immediate action to save this child's life. This situation remains under investigation but incidents like this cannot continue.”
She added that officials will be on high alert to ensure safety.
Another member, Hillary Ronen, stated that the incident should be a tipping point, as she claimed to be horrified by it.
Authorities are investigating the source and how Senna was exposed to fentanyl
Ivan Matkovic mentioned that when he arrived at the park, he found paramedics surrounding his son, and also spotted a breathing apparatus on Senna’s mouth. Matkovic said:
“All you know is your kid is not breathing, right? And you see them helping him breathe. You know those first responders just saved my son’s life. We’re just so lucky that we got the guy we got.”
Police are still trying to find out how the infant got exposed to the drug that is usually not found in a family park. Authorities are also trying to ensure that there is no further contamination of this sort in the neighborhood.
Ivan Matkovic also said that he does not believe that anybody in the park or Wendy had the drug that Senna got exposed to. In fact, he had praised the nanny’s presence of mind and said that had it not been for her and her quick reactions, he wouldn't have had his son anymore.
According to Ivan, his son was exposed to fentanyl while playing on the grass, however, he was not sure about the exact source.
Speaking about things that parents should be careful about, Ivan Matkovic said,
“I just wanted to let people know that along with coyotes and RSV and COVID, this is another thing to add to your checklist of things that you're looking out for because we weren't.”
He continued,
“It’s not just dealers and people you don’t know who is impacted by this, it’s tipping over into the broader populace, and it feels like it needs that kind of COVID-like attention, and it doesn’t seem like it’s getting that.”
The hospital report of the child has not been revealed to protect the family’s privacy. Police have confirmed that the case is currently under investigation.
