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A mum whose son had to undergo surgery after swallowing magnetic toys is warning other parents of their dangers.
Mickey Hambly, seven, was rushed to Margate's QEQM hospital by his parents in the early hours of September 6 after he began experiencing agonising abdominal pains.
Elaine Hambly is warning other parents of the dangers the toys can pose
An x-ray clearly showed six tiny balls lodged in his bowel - which mum Elaine Hambly was horrified to identify as magnetic toys she had bought him for his birthday.
"I couldn't believe it," said the mum-of-four, from Margate.
The round, coloured magnets are hugely popular toys used as building blocks.
Viral YouTube videos showing them being fashioned into impressive structures, such as buildings and animals, have racked up tens of millions of views.
It was after viewing such videos that Ms Hambly, 29, bought the toys for her son.
She supervised her children while they used them, but decided to get rid of them when they began sticking to metal items in her home.
But unbeknownst to her, Mickey got hold of the toys and swallowed six of them.
"They attracted to each other inside him and formed three holes in his bowel," she said.
Mickey was rushed by ambulance from the QEQM to Evelina Children's Hospital in London, where he underwent emergency surgery to remove the magnets.
He and his mum had to stay in hospital for a week post-surgery, but Mickey is now back at home and recovering well.
He is back at school, but to his dismay is not allowed to play outside with his friends at break or lunchtimes while he recovers.
"He cannot ride a bike, scooter, go swimming, play football, or even play outside for at least two months - and can have complications with his bowel in the future," said his mum.
Ms Hambly is now keen to raise awareness of the dangers the toys can pose if ingested.
Since posting about what happened to Mickey on Facebook, several other parents have contacted her reporting similar incidents.
Following his operation, Mickey told his mum he had accidentally swallowed the magnets while rolling them in the space where he had lost a tooth, because it "felt nice on his gum".
"Unfortunately kids are putting them in their mouth or pretending to make piercings," said Ms Hambly.
"They look just like the little sweets you can put on birthday cakes - they're hard and colourful.
"The hospital said that wasn't their first case of it - they've seen a few.
"They are so strong and have been causing kids serious damage.
"I just want other parents to know what can happen. It was a horrible experience for our whole family.
"I can’t stress enough to parents - please do not buy these. As fun as they look, they are really dangerous and can be life-threatening."
