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Eight children were hospitalized in Massachusetts after suddenly falling ill with “seizure-like symptoms” at a church outside Boston, officials said.
The incident unfolded last night at St. Paul’s Parish in Cambridge as it was hosting a concert by a traveling French youth choir.
Cambridge Fire Department Chief Thomas Cahill told WCVB that first responders initially received a call about a child suffering from a seizure while participating in the show, but when they arrived, the child appeared normal while sitting on the church’s front steps.
“That quickly escalated into seven other people having seizure-like symptoms,” Cahill added. “They were all transported to hospitals around the Cambridge area.”
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Firefighters carry a person outside the St. Paul Parish in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while responding to the incident on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (Cambridge Fire Department)
The Cambridge Fire Department described the hospitalizations of “eight pre-teen and early teen youths” as non-life-threatening and said approximately 70 other people attending the concert were not affected.
“The Fire Dept hazmat team completed a thorough survey of the St. Paul buildings utilizing several air sampling meters to ensure that no hazardous conditions were present. Results were negative and the buildings were ventilated,” it wrote on Facebook.
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The Cambridge Fire Department said a hazmat team “completed a thorough survey of the St. Paul buildings utilizing several air sampling meters to ensure that no hazardous conditions were present” and that the results “were negative.” (Cambridge Fire Department)
“All occupants and concert attendees left the scene with designated chaperones,” the fire department added.
The cause of the illnesses is unclear.
Several students and adults reported smelling odors inside the church, according to WCVB.
“This was somewhat unusual,” Cahill told the station. “It was a routine medical call that quickly escalated into transporting eight children to the hospital. Not common.”
On its Facebook page, St. Paul’s Parish said the “renowned” Chœur d’Enfants d’Île-de-France choir was offering a free concert as part of a 2025 U.S. tour.
The Cambridge Fire Department said approximately “70 other people in attendance at a choir concert at St. Paul’s were not affected.” (Cambridge Fire Department)
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“Founded in 1970, the youth choir has travelled extensively and performed with some of the world’s top conductors and soloists. The concert will feature and exciting mix of sacred and secular repertoire, as well as popular French songs,” it said.