It seems like fidget spinners are everywhere these days, but a Texas mom is warning parents that they may not be harmless toys. In a Facebook post that’s gone viral, Kelly Rose Joniec shares her 10-year-old daughter Britton’s harrowing experience when she swallowed a piece of her spinning toy.
A Scary Ride
In her post, Kelly writes, “Looking back in the mirror, 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.”
When Kelly wasn’t able to dislodge the obstruction, she rushed Britton to the nearest urgent care center. The doctors there couldn’t tell where the object had gotten stuck. It wasn’t until after an ambulance ride to Texas Children’s Hospital that an X-ray revealed a round metal bearing in the girl’s esophagus.
The Culprit Shows Up In An X-Ray
“The GI doctor was fascinated,” Kelly wrote. “He’d only just learned of fidget spinners that morning when he was at the mall with his son, so it was a surprise to be faced with one in a case a few hours later. He’s also an advocate for related child safety in toys, so he took a special interest in the case.”
Britton was taken to surgery to endoscopically locate and remove the object. Kelly continued in her post, “Fortunately, we had a positive outcome, but it was pretty scary there for a while…not only because of the initial ingestion, but then the concern about the composition and structure of the object, and finally, the risk with general anesthesia.”
A Warning To All Parents And Kids
She says she wanted the post to serve as a warning to all parents and kids who use the spinners.
“From this, I wish to offer some word of caution to parents. Fidget spinners are the current craze so they are widely distributed. Kids of all ages may be getting them, but not all spinners come with age-appropriate warnings. The bushings pop out easily, so if you have young kids (under 8 years old) keep in mind that these present a potential choking hazard.”