8 children taken to hospitals after seizure-like symptoms at Harvard
Square church concert
[July 24, 2025]
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Eight children at a church near Harvard
University where a French youth choir was holding a concert suffered
seizure-like symptoms and were taken to hospitals, possibly the result
of fumes from cleaning supplies, officials said.
The symptoms were not life-threatening, the Cambridge Fire Department
said in a news release. About 70 other people in attendance at the
concert Tuesday evening at St. Paul's Parish in Harvard Square were not
affected.
The children, described as preteens and early teens, were doing fine
Wednesday and were all released from local hospitals, according to the
department. The Cambridge Fire Department's hazardous materials team
determined fumes in the building could have come from cleaning supplies
used shortly before the first complaint, the department's release said.
Crews first received a call about a child suffering from a seizure. When
firefighters arrived, the child was sitting outside of the church but
was not actively having a seizure, Fire Chief Thomas Cahill said.
“That quickly escalated into seven other people having seizure-like
symptoms,” Cahill told WCVB-TV.
The department's hazmat team “completed a thorough survey of the St.
Paul buildings utilizing several air sampling meters to ensure that no
hazardous conditions were present,” the press release said. “Results
were negative, and the buildings were ventilated.”
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In this still image taken from video, and ambulance with working
lights is parked in a street in Cambridge, Mass., on Wednesday, July
23, 2025. (AP Photo)
 St. Paul's Facebook Page said a
French youth choir, the Chœur d’Enfants d’Île-de-France, was
offering a free concert at the church on Tuesday night as part of
its 2025 U.S. tour.
“Founded in 1970, the youth choir has traveled extensively and
performed with some of the world’s top conductors and soloists,” St.
Paul's said. “The concert will feature and exciting mix of sacred
and secular repertoire, as well as popular French songs.”
Messages seeking comment were emailed to St. Paul's. The Harvard
Catholic Center, the Catholic chaplaincy for Harvard University
students and other academic institutions in the area, referred
questions to the fire department.
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