Boy, 3, fights for life in intensive care after swallowing 19 toy magnets that burned holes in his intestines and poisoned him
- Reggie Hodgson, three, was taken to hospital after turning grey and feeling sick
- Scan found magnetic balls inside body and he was rushed to theatre for surgery
- Objects had come from toy used by Reggie’s older brothers Harrison and Teddie
- Boy’s mother, Martina, said he is now in ‘stable condition’ at intensive care ward
A three-year-old boy was left fighting for his life in intensive care after swallowing 19 toy magnets that burned holes in his intestines and poisoned him.
Reggie Hodgson, from Lincoln, East Midlands, was taken to hospital on Tuesday after turning grey and feeling sick.
His parents thought it was a sickness bug, but hospital staff found that he was severely dehydrated and sent him for an X-ray.
The scan found some small magnetic balls inside Reggie’s body, something which prompted him to be blue lighted to Nottingham City Hospital and rushed to theatre for operations.
Reggie Hodgson (pictured right, in hospital), from Lincoln, East Midlands, was taken to hospital on Tuesday after swallowing 19 toy magnets (left)
Doctors and surgeons managed to remove all of the magnets from Reggie’s body and his mother Martina Hodgson, above, says he is in a ‘stable’ condition at an intensive care ward
The objects had come from a toy used by Reggie’s older brothers Harrison and Teddie, with Reggie swallowing 19 of them as they ended up in four separate areas of his body.
The damage to his insides included holes in his intestines and a bend in his bowel, as the balls corroded and poisoned Reggie.
Doctors and surgeons managed to remove all of the magnets from Reggie’s body and his mother Martina says he is in a ‘stable’ condition at an intensive care ward.
Martina said she was told by doctors to raise awareness of the magnets to stop it happening to any other young children.
Her heart sank when she realised he had swallowed his brother’s toy magnets.
Martina said: ‘My boy is lucky to still have his bowel.
‘He went from being a little bit ill with what I thought was just a stomach bug to seriously ill in a short space of time, and then needed major surgery.
‘These silly little things are dangerous and I wouldn’t want anybody else to feel the way I have the past couple of days.’
Due to current coronavirus restrictions, Martina has had to be separated from her son during the night.
She said: ‘Reggie could possibly be coming out of intensive care to another ward which is amazing.
The objects had come from a toy used by Reggie’s older brothers Harrison and Teddie, with Reggie swallowing 19 of them as they ended up in four separate areas of his body
Reggie (pictured right, before the incident) suffered from holes in his intestines and a bend in his bowel, as the balls corroded and poisoned the three-year-old
‘In the ICU I have my own room but it is about a five minute walk from Reggie, so he isn’t by my side if I go to bed.
‘I’m not allowed a pull-out bed in here so I have been sitting in a chair trying to sleep.
‘I’ve had all kinds of emotions run through me these past few days, I just wanted a hug from my husband but rules are rules for COVID.’
Martina also urged parents to be careful with the toys, saying they are dangerous.
She added: ‘I’m shocked that so much damage can be caused by a child’s toy, my poor boy has had to go through so much and still has a road of recovery ahead.
‘Anybody that knows Reggie knows he’s a firecracker and always getting himself into pickles by being cheeky and mischievous, so to be sat here watching him so lifeless is a bitter, angry feeling.’