Mother speaks out after son is quarantined in China over swine flu concernsFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- One worried mother from Fort Lauderdale has finally been able to contact her son who is quarantined in China. Several students, including a South Florida teen, were detained in China earlier this week after someone on their flight tested positive for the H1N1 strain of the flu, first know earlier this year as the swine flu. Marie Lang said her 16-year-old son, Cody Lang, and several other students left for an adventure across the world with 28 other local students organized by the People to People Ambassador Program. He was supposed to be visiting one of the wonders of the world-- the Great Wall of China. But before that adventure could begin, they would end up confined in a Beijing hospital. The mother now feels helpless. "I didn't have control of the situation, and I wanted to know if somebody was watching my child," she said. The son spoke from the hospital via phone and explained how he wound up quarantined. "A guy on my flight from Hong Kong to Beijing came down with swine flu, so they took out three of our rows, his row and the row behind him and the row in front," he said. Lang said her son was separated from most of the tour group, including the group's leader and became concerned for her son's safety. "The fear in his voice," she said. "As a 16-year-old boy he's trying to sound brave, and as a mother that's when it got me. I was very upset to hear his voice cracking and to hear him say, 'Mom, I feel like I'm in prison. They're locking us in a room and nobody can speak to us in English.'" He and another student were separated from the group when they were brought to the hospital. "They took our temperature, and I was point-one degree over the healthy temperature, so they sent me and one other kid to the hospital, and we've been here for 36 hours," Cody explained over the phone. His mom said the fact that they were away from the group worried her, but soon after that first phone call, the organizers said they sent extra members representing the tour program to the hospital to make sure the students are getting what they need. "Now that I know that they have people bringing him things and checking on him and people that can translate for him, I feel much better," said Marie Lang. So far, none of the kids from South Florida tested positive for swine flu, and tour officials hope to see them released soon. (Copyright 2009 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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