A devastated mother and father have issued a warning on the dangers of leaving magnets in the reach of children. Their two-year old daughter Ava is now in intensive care after swallowing nine magnetic pellets which were stuck to their fridge.
Ava’s mum Lexi noticed she was clutching her stomach in pain. The concerned mother rushed her to a nearby clinic where the doctor said it was a stomach flu. Lexi wasn’t satisfied and brought her daughter to Texas Children’s Hospital where Ava was scanned and the magnets were detected.
The magnets were pulling at little Ava’s insides as they moved to find each other. “Magnets find each other, even though skin,” Lexi said. “They had burrowed in her intestines, creating holes.”
Ava has since undergone surgery to repair the tears but she still has a long recovery ahead. “She’s been fighting to live,” her mum said. “Don’t have any magnets, if you have magnets, get them away. On top of a bookshelf or refrigerator isn’t enough.”