A mother in Florida is warning other parents about magnetic toys after her son swallowed part of one that led to serious stomach complications.
Hannah Arrington admitted it has been a “long and heartbreaking road” ever since her 2-year-old son Konin swallowed the Buckyball magnets last month.
“We take this day by day,” Arrington wrote on the fundraiser, which she started to help with her family’s growing medical expenses. “Prayers are ever so needed as we fight this uphill battle with Konin.”
And while Konin was rushed to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando on May 18, Arrington told CNN that the Buckyball had actually been in their home since April after one of his older siblings brought it home from school.
The toys are made up of tiny, loose, high-powered magnetic balls that can change shape based on their orientation, according to the company’s website. Arrington, who is a mom of five, revealed she and her husband threw the toy out right after discovering it as they knew the dangers it could pose to young children.
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But at that point — it was too late as Konin had already swallowed magnets. The tot began experiencing stomach pain, so his parents brought him to the emergency room, where an X-ray revealed that he had 16 small magnetic balls linked together in his intestine and extending down to his colon.
“On the X-ray, it showed a line that almost looked like a pull chain cord for a fan,” Arrington recalled.
Konin was then rushed to the hospital to undergo a laparotomy. In addition, he also had a stomach defect repaired and a small bowel resection, which resulted in close to 3 feet of his small intestines getting removed.
“His recovery has been difficult as he has lost over 30% of his body weight due to Small Bowel Syndrome & an infection post-surgery,” Arrington wrote on the page. “He was admitted back to Arnold Palmer on 6/9 and has had 3 feeding tubes placed. We are now going on to a 4th feeding tube… as he has yet to gain any weight.”
While Konin remains in the hospital, Arrington said she has been out of work indefinitely and her husband Ken has taken time off to care for their other four kids. And as she is no longer employed, Konin will mostly likely have to take multiple trips to the hospital each week for checkups once he’s discharged, hence the GoFundMe.
“I don’t think parents understand the amount of seriousness these desk toys have,” Hannah shared. “Parents shouldn’t have to worry that their kids are going to bring a toy home that could kill a younger sibling. … You can die from it, you can have lifelong issues from it, because look where we are.”
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