In 2012, Patricia Krentcil gained notoriety after being accused of endangering children. In fact, readers may be more familiar with her as “Tan Mom” due to her obsession with frequenting tanning salons and spending time in the booth five days a week.
Eventually, Patricia came dangerously close to passing away because to the contentious condition known as tanerexia, which occurs when a person doesn’t recognize or accept how much color they have. Though she continues to visit the salon, she is now doing much better.
“Tan Mom” has endured a lot over the past ten years. Here is how she seems right now!
Obsession with anything, whether it be eating, shopping, television shows, or anything else, is rarely a beneficial habit to form. Of course, some things are worse for your health than others, but ultimately, it’s important to understand the long-term effects an obsession may have on one’s life.
It’s usually a good idea to see someone if you ever feel like something is starting to dominate your life or that you are placing an obsession above other crucial aspects of your regular existence. Try speaking with a friend or getting support from a counselor.
Patricia Krentcil – ‘Tan Mom’
Patricia Krentcil’s fascination propelled her to internet stardom. She began tanning when she was younger, and it soon became to be a significant part of her life. When Patricia went on trial for bringing her daughter to a tanning parlor in 2012, she instantly became an internet sensation. Although she was never found guilty, her name was already well-known.
She now tans more healthfully, but her time spent in the booth had a significant impact on her life and appearance.
When Patricia was only 23 years old, she developed a tanning fetish. According to the owner of City Tropics Tanning Salon in Nutley, New Jersey, the New Jersey woman averaged five visits each week for a maximum session length of 12 minutes. She paid $100 a month for an unlimited package.
“I’ve been tanning my whole life, going to the beach, tanning salons and so forth,” she said.
However, it wasn’t her tanning that originally made her a household name online. Her image was widely shared online in 2012, but for a completely different cause.
Krentcil was accused with endangering children in May 2012. According to authorities, she put her 6-year-old kid in a stand-up tanning booth, causing burns, as CBS New York reported.
Charged after brining daughter tanning
Patricia, though, asserted that everything was a massive misunderstanding. She was adamant that she would never take Anna, her daughter, to the salon.
“No not at all, not at all, not whatsoever,” Krentcil said.
However, the Nutley Police Department detained Krentcil and accused him of endangering children. The toddler allegedly received a minor burn in the tanning salon where she had taken Anna with her, according to the authorities.
According to ABC, New Jersey law prohibits anyone under the age of 14 from using a tanning bed. Teens older than 14 could visit salons, but only with permission from their parents.
In Anna’s case, the controversy began when a school nurse happened to ask Anna how she had gotten burned, to which the girl answered: “I go tanning with mommy.” Patricia, though, claimed that Anna had been burned after playing outside in their backyard.
“There’s not room… I would never permit it… It didn’t happen,” Krentcil said.
“She’s 6 years old. Yes, she does go tanning with mommy, but not in the booth,” she added. “The whole thing’s preposterous!”
Patricia at that moment earned the moniker “Tan Mom” in the media. Patricia’s face was on newscasts and in newspapers all around the world after the purported incident went viral online.
“They just don’t realize just how much color they have”
Additionally, it clarified the contentious condition known as tanorexia, in which a person develops a dependence on and obsession with tanning.
“When you look at this, this is somebody who has a problem which most likely has a condition called tanerexia, where they just don’t realize just how much color they have,” New York dermatologist Doris Day told ABC News.
“There’s really no excuse to take a young child to a tanning salon,” she added.
“We often consider going to a tanning salon the equivalent of smoking for the skin and the younger you start, those effects are cumulative.”
Health professionals concurred that Patricia’s situation was quite serious. Dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner thought it was one of the craziest situations he had ever encountered.
“In all my years of treating patients as a dermatologist, I have never encountered anything like this,” Zeichner said.
“Going to a tanning salon 20 times a month, frankly, is insane, especially with all of the public education and awareness campaigns on the dangers of tanning beds and skin cancers.”
“It may be she has an [obsession with] tanning, which actually now has a name – tanorexia. She may need help to treat not only the damage to her skin but also what is going on with her psychologically,” he added.
‘Tan Mom’ faced up to 10 years in prison
The Skin Care Foundation claims that people who use indoor tanning equipment have a four-fold increased risk of developing melanoma. Sunbeds emit 12 to 15 times more UV radiation than the sun, according to the foundation.
Man Waits for Son He Has Not Seen in Years at the Airport, Does Not Find Boy among Passengers – Story of the Day
Arlene sent her seven-year-old, Justin, to visit his father, Pierce, in Orlando. Pierce waited for his son in anticipation of all the fun they would have, but his flight had allegedly arrived, and his son was nowhere to be found. That’s when both parents started worrying and realized their shocking mistake.
Arlene and her son, Justin, were at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia. The seven-year-old was about to board a flight to Orland, Florida, where his father, Pierce, awaited him. It was the first time he had traveled as an unaccompanied minor, but luckily, the airline attendant made her feel safe.
“It’s going to be alright. Many minors travel alone around the country, and we should reach your husband in time,” she stated. “He’ll have an escort, and this flight is best because there are no connections. Everything will be perfect.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Arlene nodded, her face filled with emotion. Justin might be growing, but he was still a child. It was hard to let him go, mainly because he hadn’t seen his father in years. After their bitter divorce, Pierce moved from Virginia to Orlando, Florida, and he was busy most of the time.
“How is that possible?” Arlene wailed, almost starting to cry from the worry and exasperation. But something occurred to her at that moment. “Give me a second.”
However, his company had just given him a two-week vacation, and he invited Justin to come to spend time with him. They were going to the theme parks, so that Arlene couldn’t say no. Her son was too excited because he loved everything relating to superheroes and dinosaurs. It was his dream.
But now, she was almost regretting it. “Ok, Justin. You’re going to with this lady and get on the plane. Listen to the adults around. Don’t run off from your escort, and you’ll reach your dad soon. When you land in Orlando, you call me immediately. And then, call me again when you meet your father. Understand?” she requested, kneeling in front of the kid and holding his arms tenderly.
“Yes, Mom!” he replied, smiling and doing a makeshift military salute. This kid had a great sense of humor. He was going to love that trip.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Ok. Love you. Go on!” she continued and watched as Justin grabbed the attendant’s hand and entered the gate.
She thought about leaving but sat down at an airport café. She was going to wait for the plane to take off. But once she saw that the flight had taken off, she decided to stay and wait for Justin’s call if anything happened. After all, the flight was less than two hours long. The time would pass quickly.
***
Meanwhile, Pierce was waiting for Justin at Orlando International Airport, and he couldn’t wait. He was just as excited as the kid to see all the attractions at the park. It was crazy that he had lived in the city for years but had yet to attend. His work kept him way too busy. This trip was going to be amazing.
He arrived an hour before Justin’s flight and went to the arrival area to wait for him. Finally, the flight landed, and Pierce got closer to the gate so his son could see him immediately. “I should have made a sign,” he muttered to himself as he saw other people waiting for their loved ones. It was too late now. He stayed in the front at all times.
However, many passengers came out, and there was no Justin. According to the unaccompanied minor service, Arlene said that he would have top priority. So, someone should have brought him out already. He didn’t want to call her yet to avoid worrying her. Maybe, Justin had to go to the bathroom, which could explain the delay. He would wait for a while.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
But at one point, no other passengers were coming out of the arrival area. It had been an hour since the plane landed. It shouldn’t take that long. He approached someone from the airline and started asking questions. An attendant came to assist him.
“I’m sorry, sir. There was no one by the name of Justin on that flight. We have no record of an unaccompanied minor serviced hired for it either,” the attendant, shocking Pierce.
“That’s impossible. Please, check again,” he demanded, trying to stay calm, but the sweat on his forehead gave away his fears.
The assistant typed away on her computer, and Pierce’s phone rang. It was Arlene. Hopefully, she knew what was going on. “Hello?”
“Hey, Pierce. Why didn’t you guys call me when Justin arrived? I told him to call me when the plane landed and when you met with him,” Arlene wondered, and he could tell that she was agitated for some reason.
“Arlene, listen. I’m sorry to say this, but Justin has not arrived. An attendant here said that he was not on the flight. I don’t understand what’s going on,” he was forced to reveal, and Arlene yelled in his ear.
“No! That’s crazy! NO! Tell the attendant to check again!” she started yelling. “I’m going to talk to someone on my end too. I’m still at the airport.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Ok. Listen, calm down. Everything will be alright. There must be a mix-up or something,” he said, trying to calm his ex-wife because he knew she was prone to hysterics.
“I’m not calming down! This is our child, Pierce! Talk to you later!” she screamed and hung up.
“Sir, like I said. There was no Justin on the flight. There’s nothing I can do. Are you sure this is the airline?” the attendant asked.
“Yes! It’s the only flight that arrived at this time from Virginia! My son was on that flight. My ex-wife just confirmed. Please, help me, miss. He’s only seven. Can you call anyone? Should I call the police?” Pierce started asking questions rapidly. The attendant sighed and grabbed her phone.
***
“Justin, where are you? Why didn’t you call me sooner? What’s happening?” Arlene asked desperately on her phone.
“Mom, we have been trying to find Dad for hours, and he’s nowhere. Did you talk to him?” the little boy said through the phone.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Your father is right at the arrival area. He’s just as worried as I am. Please, give the phone to your escort,” Arlene requested and demanded an explanation from the woman, who only reiterated what Justin said earlier. There was no Pierce anywhere in the airport.
She told them to wait until she called again and dialed her ex’s number. “Pierce, Justin called me and said they’ve been looking for you for a long time. What’s going on?” she said, one hand running through her hair in frustration. She knew Justin was safe, but there was no reason why they couldn’t find each other.
“There’s no way, Arlene. That’s impossible. People here are saying he was not on the flight!” Pierce stated.
“How is that possible?” Arlene wailed, almost starting to cry from the worry and exasperation. But something occurred to her at that moment. “Give me a second.”
She went to her emails where she had sent Pierce the flight details. However, she had written them instead of sending a screenshot, and she suddenly realized her big mistake. “Pierce,” she started, again putting the phone in her ear. “Where are you?”
“What do you mean? I’m at Orlando International Airport. Why?” Pierce questioned, confused by her words. But something clicked in his brain at that moment.
“Justin arrived at Orlando Sanford International Airport!” Arlene yelled, and Pierce took off in a run.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Jesus! Arlene, why didn’t you say that in your email! Most flights got to MCO!” he scolded her breathlessly as he ran to his car. “I’ll be there in 30 minutes!”
While Pierce was on his way, Arlene called Justin and explained to his escort what had happened. She was relieved too, and they waited for Pierce to arrive.
Less than an hour later, Justin called her. “I’m with Dad, Mom! Thank you for helping me! I’ll send you pics of Disney soon!”
Arlene hung up the phone with her son and breathed deeply as if she couldn’t get enough air in her lungs. Finally, she walked to her car.
What can we learn from this story?
- You must send all the details of a flight and check several times. These poor parents worried so much because they had not communicated well enough. Luckily, nothing happened, and they resolved the issue.
- It’s always best to fly with your kids. While an unaccompanied minor service is perfect for busy parents and other situations, Arlene should have traveled with her son if she was going to worry so much. She would have avoided worrying so much.
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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who adopted a boy she found on the side of the road, and his father showed up years later.
This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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