On a warm day July 11, Caroline Flynn and her young children were in a South Boston park near their home for a birthday party when her 4-year-old ran screaming from a play area without shoes on.

When she rushed over in the grassy area around the corner of Columbia Road and Mercer Street, her child had a needle sticking out of his foot, Flynn said.

“I was freaking out. I was scared,” Flynn said. “I noticed that there was leftover blood in that needle. So all the worst thoughts that I could think of came to my mind.”

The family hurried to the emergency room at Boston Medical Center, staying there from 8 p.m. to almost 4 a.m., Flynn said.

Her son had to get an X-ray for the swelling, underwent extensive blood testing and walked away with three medications to take twice a day for 28 days to prevent HIV, the mom said.

After weeks of struggling through taking the medications — which the 4-year-old has had issues swallowing and not throwing up in different forms — the family will go back to the infectious disease unit next week for more blood tests and again in three weeks for another round.

“Even though it happened a few weeks ago, we’re still not in the clear because that first round of blood work he did, they pretty much said was too soon to even find if he’s infected with anything,” said Flynn. “So next week, when we go for blood work, hopefully we’ll have more clarity. But still, every day not knowing if he caught anything from this incident has been stressful. It’s been traumatic.”

As horrifying as the incident was, it wasn’t entirely unheard of for the South Boston mom.

“It’s sad, but it’s kind of true; in this area, it’s normal to see drug addicts openly using drugs in public,” said Flynn.

Now Flynn said she’s taking steps to warn her neighbors and looking for change from public officials. She noted she’s spoken to some city councilors and state Sen. Nick Collins since the incident.

“I never thought it would happen to my kid, and it did,” said Flynn. “So you just have to be aware now.”

A City of Boston spokesperson said Sunday that city officials work to “remove any found needles immediately,” and the public health risks and other impacts of discarded needles are a “reason why we are moving to end outdoor congregate substance use in Boston.”

The city runs a Mobile Sharps Team that makes “daily sweeps in public spaces and quickly pick up any needles reported to 311,” in coordination with partner organizations, the spokesperson said. The city also noted added staffing to ramp up enforcement and a new partnership with the Gavin Foundation to transport individuals from the Mass and Cass area and direct access to recovery beds.

“Discarded needles on our city streets and public spaces are unacceptable, and no family should have to worry about their children’s safety with this distressing situation,” the City spokesperson said.

South Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn called the incident “a parent’s worst nightmare” and argued “nobody can credibly say that everything is getting better.”

“The drug crisis we have in our neighborhoods must be met with the full force of law enforcement,” said Councilor Flynn. “Zero tolerance for drug use, drug dealing, human trafficking and violence. To do otherwise would allow for more vulnerable people to be victimized, while public order and quality of life for law abiding Bostonians continues to deteriorate.”

State Sen. Nick Collins said there is a “state of emergency in Boston with respect to the drug epidemic.” He called for a joint task force with local, state and federal law enforcement dedicated to the Mass and Cass drug use.

“This incident is disturbing, and my heart goes out to the young victim and his family,” said Collins. “Nobody should have to be subjected to this.”

“This is just allowed too much by the city, people doing drugs in public and just not being held accountable for it,” said Caroline Flynn.

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The mom said she’s looking for steps like needle disposal boxes in parks where this is happening, clean-up teams going through parks removing needles, and the city to take the issue “more seriously.”

“This whole incident has just been stressful, frustrating, traumatizing,” said Caroline Flynn. “And the most frustrating part about is that it should have never happened.”

A boy, 4, was pricked by a needle on his foot in a South Boston neighborhood near Columbia Rd and Mercer Street. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)