Merthyr Tydfil: Toy beads warning after boy, 4, nearly died

A parent whose four-year-old lad astir died aft swallowing 52 magnets from a artifact has urged parents to beryllium alert of the dangers.

Doctors had to region Jude's appendix and chopped his bowel successful 5 places wherever the magnets got trapped.

His parent Lyndsey Foley said she feared she was going to suffer him.

Public Health Wales (PHW) urged radical to deliberation earlier buying products containing mini magnets and fastener batteries for children.

Ms Foley, 34, from Merthyr Tydfil, said she became acrophobic aft her son, present five, had recurring bouts of sickness implicit an 8 week play this summer.

After interest grew, successful August she took Jude to Prince Charles Hospital erstwhile helium was successful terrible pain.

Blood tests and carnal examinations appeared mean until thing appeared connected an X-ray.

"The doc thought that helium was lying connected a necklace astatine archetypal but upon looking astatine it, I knew consecutive distant that it was these beads," she said.

"Then wrong 5 minutes the doctors were arranging for an ambulance to instrumentality america down to the Children's Hospital successful Cardiff.

"We got bluish lighted down. I started to panic. It was lone past that I realised however superior it was."

Ms Foley said she had bought the magnetic beads artifact for her eight-year-old girl Poppy.

The toys are fashionable with children, with a assortment of videos connected YouTube showing however you tin marque shapes, objects and houses with with the tiny magnetic balls.

Lyndsey nevertheless had nary thought her lad had been swallowing "one oregon two, present oregon there" implicit the abstraction of a mates of months.

"The surgeon said if I hadn't brought him successful erstwhile I did, it could person been fatal," she said.

"Due to the quality of the bowel and the unit of the beads, it was tearing holes successful his bowel which was causing his bowel to leak truthful an corruption was spreading done his body. He was getting poisoned."

Surgeons were operating connected Jude for 7 hours owed to the complexity of the operation.

Jude could not devour thing and was bed-bound for 7 days during his two-week infirmary stay.

His parent said: "He was successful pain. It was traumatic for him. It was horrible for maine due to the fact that I couldn't springiness him a cwtch due to the fact that helium was hooked up to truthful galore pipes.

"I americium precise fortunate Jude has nary semipermanent wellness affects, but the surgeon did pass america that helium whitethorn person had a colostomy container for beingness oregon helium could person been connected monthly vitamin injections due to the fact that of the shortness of the bowel."

Ms Foley present wants to pass different parents of the dangers from tiny toys.

"If you've got these beads astatine home, region them. They are truthful dangerous.

"I inactive person that guilt, reasoning what I enactment my kid though oregon what could person been... How his beingness could person changed done maine purchasing a artifact that you deliberation is safe. I ne'er would person thought the harm it would person caused."

Jude is having regular check-ups and is doing well, but a five-inch scar connected his tummy volition beryllium a reminder of what happened.

"Jude has learnt his acquisition present - don't enactment thing successful your mouth," said Ms Foley. "And me, arsenic a parent, I americium much alert of what I americium buying."

Sarah Jones, advisor successful biology nationalist wellness astatine Public Health Wales, said: "We are asking parents to deliberation cautiously earlier buying products containing magnets and fastener batteries for children.

"Mini magnet toys don't marque bully stocking fillers. They should ever beryllium stored retired of the scope of tiny children.

"Similar dangers travel from children swallowing fastener batteries too.

"Parents should marque definite the fastener artillery compartment is decently closed and unafraid connected each toys earlier giving them to children."