When Bree Davis' two-year-old son, Franklin, stopped eating and drinking and began vomiting every 30 minutes, she assumed it was just a minor gastrointestinal problem. But when she went to the hospital emergency, surgeons discovered that 22 colored magnetic beads were inside the toddler's small intestine and bowel, leaving him with corroding holes in his intestines.
She shares the story to warn parents of the dangers of young children playing with magnetic beads.
Rainbow Colored Magnetic Beads
Davis said that her sons found a toy when the family had an outing at Northern Beaches Park. When they arrived home, the boys placed the toy on a small table and played with it immediately. She thought that the toy looked fine, so she just let the kids play with it, as per 7News.
Her three sons would spend hours daily playing with the beads for weeks. The kids would make shapes and find objects that the magnetic balls would stick on.
However, two weeks after the kids brought the beads home, the youngest son began feeling unwell.
On March 21, the toddler complained that he had a sore stomach. The parents got worried when Franklin began vomiting every 15 to 30 minutes.
He would also not eat anything, just liquid, the mom recalled.
At that time, bouts of gastro problems were going around; she thought it was just a minor gastrointestinal problem.
The mom stayed up with the Franklin the entire night and made the first appointment to see the doctor in the morning. The GP confirmed Bree's initial gastro thoughts.
Investigating the cause of stomach pain
Franklin's condition did not improve for three days, and they were in and out of the hospital. The doctors were at a loss on the cause of the pain as ultrasounds and scans were clear. After each ER visit, the family would administer painkillers and monitor changes per the doctor's recommendation.
Then, Franklin had a random accident where he fell and split his lip open, Mum Central reports. This incident prompted the mom to bring his youngest son to the hospital for the fourth time that week.
The little boy began complaining that his stomach was hurting again, so doctors performed a keyhole surgery to inspect the abdominal area.
The doctors initially suspected that the boy had a ruptured appendix. The surgery was supposed to last an hour, but the surgeons walked out of the emergency room three hours later, holding a small, clear container.
Inside the container were 22 colored magnetic balls from the toddler's body. Some of the balls made their way to his small intestine. Doctors found some balls in his bowel while the rest were scattered around his digestive tract.
The doctor said that the beads inside his small intestine and bowel had burrowed deep into his organs as they tried to reach each other. The magnetic force corroded two holes in the boy's intestine.
Hazardous to children
When the doctor showed what he got from Franklin's body, the doctor told him that he would have another operation in a few hours to remove the same toy from an older boy. The doctor admits that he is surprised that the balls are being marketed as toys, considering that kids may easily swallow them. According to Mirror, it causes severe damage to the digestive system once ingested.
Little Franklin is now recovering well from the surgery, but he now stays away from magnets.
