World Actuality

A 10-year-old girl was nearly killed by a medical toy designed to help children after accidentally inhaling it, becoming lodged in her esophagus.

 “On my way home from a fun swim meet,” wrote the child’s mother, Kelly Rose Joniec, on Facebook, “I heard Britton make an odd retching noise in the back seat as I was driving.” “Looking back in the mirror,” she added, “I saw her face turning red and drool pouring from her mouth—she could utter noises but looked panicked so I immediately pulled over.” “She pointed to her throat saying she’d swallowed something, so I attempted Heimlich but there was no resistance. She said she’d put part of her fidget spinner in her mouth to clean it and somehow swallowed it.”

Fidget spinners are recent toy/invention designed to aid children with ADHD. It allows them to channel their unsettled behavior into the focused tasks provided by the small toy.

However, some of the parts comprising the toy are small and can be detached, creating an obvious choking hazard. Kelly immediately drove her daughter to the nearest hospital, where x-rays revealed the terrifying location of the toy: Britton immediately underwent surgery and luckily survived the ordeal.

“Kids of all ages may be getting them, but not all spinners come with age-appropriate warnings,” warned Kelly, “The bushings pop out easily, so if you have young kids (under 8 yr old) keep in mind that these present a potential choking hazard.”