Telford mum’s warning after daughter, 7, suffers horrific blisters from gel toy
Livi Barnard picked up the toy before it leaked onto her hand
A Telford mum has warned other parents to be wary after gel from a toy leaked onto her hand, causing horrendous blisters.
Rene Barnard said daughter Livi was injured by the toy on Monday (June 22).
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The toy was a squishy, dough-filled stress ball of a type that has become a common craze item among youngsters. While there have been reports of children injuring themselves by foolishly microwaving the products, Rene said Livi, aged seven, had simply picked it up.
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“She just picked it up from the side,” said Rene. “The seal had broken and the gel went on to her hand.
“She said it felt hot straight away. She is a tough tomboy seven-year-old so when she said it started to really hurt I knew something was wrong, so I put her hand under water.
“I Googled and it said that [the toys] were non-toxic but by then the blisters had come up on Livi’s hand.”
The mum of two, from Dawley, said she called 111 immediately and was advised to rush Livi to hospital.
“As they have no burns unit in Telford, they had to take pictures and send them to Birmingham Children’s Hospital,” said Rene. “We were then asked to go back the next day so they could treat her blisters, which required gas and air, and I now have to take her to the doctors every day to have the dressing changed.”
She said that she has told Livi’s school, Dawley Church of England Primary Academy, which has issued an alert to warn other parents, and Rene has also been in contact with Smyths Toys in Telford where she bought the toy.
“All the kids are playing with them at the moment,” said Rene, 47. “But if this was a toddler it could have been really serious - thankfully Livi’s nine-year-old brother is not interested in the toys.”
Smyths Toys in Telford has been approached for comment but Rene said she has been in touch with business and the toy shop has reported the incident to its supplier.
Bigjigs Toys, UK toy distributor, said it was investigating the circumstances and whether the toy was genuine or a fake.
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