2 Investigators: 'Salt Cave' Spa Closes, Leaving Child Patients In The Lurch
(CBS) – Seven-year-old Kylie East gets daily treatments for her cystic fibrosis.
She has breathing problems because of her disorder, which can also cause fatigue and weakness due to low salt levels in the body. Some patients are helped by salty environments, like the ocean.
"When I heard about the salt caves I thought, 'Hey, maybe this is something she can benefit from,'" Kylie's mother, Kerry East, tells 2 Investigator Pam Zekman.
The salt cave is a room filled with imported Himalayan salt. It's part of the Timeless Spa located in Naperville.
Some people believe the salt cave treatments help relieve the symptoms of ailments like allergies, skin irritation and anxiety.
Jody Buckle, the owner of the spa, abruptly closed her business three weeks ago.
But not before East and other customers pre-purchased treatments in the salt cave.
"The last special, I invested $200," she says. "I was mad knowing that we had just purchased these, and now we can't use them."
Court records show that the spa owner was still selling treatments even after the building owner had started eviction proceedings to kick her out.
They began after Buckle bounced two monthly rent checks last January. That was settled in March, but then another bounced check resulted in a final eviction notice in August.
During that time, the business continued to sell specials to clients like East and Courtney Panozzo, who prepaid $500 worth of treatments just before the spa shut down.
"When I attempted to contact her on three different occasions, she ignored me," Panozzo said.
Panozzo's daughter, Nala, also has cystic fibrosis, and her daughter Summer has leukemia.
"The last chemo I just had, I had to go to the ER," Summer says. "If the salt caves were still opened, that might have not happened."
"I think they knew that their business was in financial trouble," Panozzo says. "I think that they took advantage of families who are willing to do anything for their children that are ill."
Spa owner Jody Buckle denies it. She says she wasn't trying to cheat anyone. She says she had hoped to get a loan to avoid eviction.
Buckle says she understands why people are upset and will make refunds to those who request it, or she will double the number of spa treatments to those who wait until she opens a new spa in Woodridge. It won't have a salt cave till next spring, she says.