4-Year-Old Boy’s Threatening Mistake Allegedly Swallows Magnets Mistaken for Sprinkles After Emergency Surgery

A mother is urging online retailer Temu to take action after her son ingested small magnets from a magnetic building block set, causing life-threatening complications that required emergency surgery. Kaela Modery, from Maine, purchased the toy for her four-year-old son Gage, only to discover that it contained hazardous, easily detachable magnets.

In an emotional recount of the incident, Kaela shared, “When I was sweeping my son’s room, I noticed underneath his bed were some little magnets on a half-eaten cookie. He’d obviously thought they were sprinkles and decided to put them on a cookie and eat them.” Kaela immediately rushed her son to the hospital after Gage started complaining of stomach pain and vomiting.

An x-ray revealed that Gage had swallowed seven of the toy’s magnets, which had caused them to fuse his left and right colon together, leading to a life-threatening blockage. Kaela recalled, “They had to cut open his stomach and remove his entire bowel and individually go through his colon to look for the magnet because they couldn’t find it laparoscopically.”

During the emergency procedure, doctors feared that the magnets could perforate his bowel, leading to a fatal infection. “There was a risk of infection from the magnetics perforating his bowels and if that would’ve happened, he would’ve died, told The Mirror US.

There would’ve been no interventions, no saving him. It would’ve killed him,” Kaela said, expressing her terror. Fortunately, Gage made a full recovery after being hospitalized for five days, but doctors are uncertain whether the magnets will have any long-term effects on his colon.

Kaela, deeply shaken by the experience, called out Temu for the safety of their products, saying, “These small magnets damaged my son’s organs. They aren’t screwed in, they’re just thrown into these little cubes. They were very poorly made.”

She expressed disappointment with Temu’s response, stating, “Temu told me that they can guarantee this item is safe – it’s clearly not.” Kaela added that she wasn’t looking for money but wanted the company to take responsibility to prevent future accidents.

In a statement, a Temu spokesperson expressed concern for the incident and assured the family that the case is being investigated. “The safety and well-being of our customers are Temu’s highest priorities,” the spokesperson said, noting that the product passed various safety tests and included a warning about choking hazards. Despite this, Kaela remains unsatisfied, urging Temu to take more decisive action to prevent such incidents in the future.