November 4, 2020 5.23 pm This story is over 40 months old

Surgeons save Lincoln toddler who swallowed 19 toy magnets

Mum urging people to be careful with toys
Reggie Hodgson was badly poisoned by the magnets but is now "stable" luckily. | Photo: Martina Hodgson
By Local Democracy Reporter

A three-year-old boy from Lincoln fell seriously ill and is currently in intensive care after swallowing 19 of his brother’s toy magnets.

Reggie Hodgson, 3, was taken to hospital on Tuesday, November 3 after feeling sick and looking grey in colour.

His parents thought it was just a sickness bug, but hospital staff found that he was severely dehydrated and sent him for an X-ray.

The scan found some peculiar little 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’s mum Martina has been helping him through this whenever she can. | Photo: Martina Hodgson

The magnetic balls had come from a toy used by Reggie’s older brothers Harrison and Teddie, with Reggie swallowing nineteen 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.

The operation has left a considerable scar on Reggie, but all the magnets were removed safely. | Photo: Martina Hodgson

Doctors and surgeons managed to remove all of the magnets from Reggie’s body and his mum Martina says he is in a “stable” condition at an intensive care ward.

Doctors recovered the colourful magnets from Reggie’s body, including six which had been lodged in his bowel. | Photo: Martina Hodgson

Martina said her heart sank when she realised he had swallowed his brother’s toy magnets. “My boy is lucky to still have his bowel”, she said.

“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.

Reggie was treated at Nottingham City Hospital and his operations were successful. | Photo: Martina Hodgson

“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 told The Lincolnite: “Reggie could possibly be coming out of intensive care to another ward which is amazing.

“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.

“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.

The usually “cheeky and mischievous” Reggie has been “lifeless” at ICU. | Photo: Martina Hodgson

“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.”