AURORA, Colo. — A 6-year-old Wyoming girl required emergency surgery after swallowing magnets from toy blocks marketed for children 3 years old and up.
Lila, of Casper, Wyoming, was life-flighted to Children's Hospital Colorado on May 24 after her condition deteriorated rapidly.
"She was vomiting red hot. Saying 'Oh my stomach hurts. You can't touch it.' Even if you try to look at her stomach, she was screaming," her mother, Rebeka Widick, said.
Denver7 anchor Jessica Porter spoke to Lila's mother about the harrowing ordeal in the video below:
Pediatric surgeon Dr. Kristine Corkum said Lila was critically ill when she arrived and was rushed to surgery.
Lila's X-ray revealed a troubling image.
"What was concerning is that we saw this grouping of magnets, and then we also saw air [in her intestine] that was on her [x-ray] film that shouldn't be there," Corkum said.
"What we were shocked to find was that she not only had one hole, but five holes that required attention," Corkum said.
Lila underwent major abdominal surgery, and part of her small intestine had to be removed.
Corkum said cases like Lila's are becoming more common.
"I think over the past few years, we've seen an increase in these magnet ingestions causing issues requiring surgery, and it may be due just to the availability of these toys online," Corkum said.
Several reviews of the blocks sold on Amazon complain about the quality and the magnets falling out easily.
Rebeka said the magnets can be removed with little effort.
"It's as simple as just literally snapping them and getting them open like that," Rebeka said.
Although she was putting the blocks in her mouth, Lila did not realize she had swallowed the magnets.
Since then her mother has removed all of the blocks from her home.
Lila is still recovering. She celebrated her kindergarten graduation in the hospital on Friday, surrounded by family.
Rebeka said she hopes other parents take the danger seriously.
"I don't want your child to ever have to go through this. I don't want your child to ever have to be almost septic, and you almost lose her over a toy that's for a three-plus child that has magnets in it," Rebeka said.
"The idea of losing my child to a simple toy like this is just ridiculous," Rebeka said.
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