P.E.I. mom warning parents after squishy toy bursts, injures daughter
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SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — A Wheatley River mother is cautioning mother and father after her daughter’s squishy toy burst open after lower than a day of use.
On Dec. 17, Kennedy Noel’s two youngsters – son Cohen, 7, and daughter Sophie, 5 – had been spending time with their grandfather.
That night, he took them to Summerside’s Big Tiger for toys, getting every of them a Squishi Mini Petz – a squeezable tactile toy.
Cohen, mentioned Noel, fidgets along with his fingers and bites his nails; she hoped {that a} toy for him to channel his restlessness would assist curb the behaviour.
A day later, the thing burst open when her daughter squeezed it, the white contents taking pictures in practically all instructions.
“It went all over the place,” mentioned Noel. “It went on my ceiling, it ruined my new sofa, it went in my daughter’s eyes, in her face. It blew up fairly dangerous.”
“I’ve by no means heard anybody scream like that earlier than … It will likely be eternally embedded into my thoughts.” – Kennedy Noel
Noel was not in the home on the time however noticed the chaotic scene upon returning dwelling.
“Everyone was screaming, and my husband was crying,” mentioned Noel. “It was insane.”
Cohen’s toy, in the meantime, remained undisturbed. Not eager to threat a second incident, Noel confiscated the squishy. She has each toys in a plastic bag, in case different mother and father need to see them or if the producer needs them returned.
“I did ask (Sophie), ‘did you chunk it, did you step on it, what occurred?’” mentioned Noel. “I requested each the youngsters, and Cohen and Sophie each mentioned she was simply sitting there, squishing it.”
Noel cleaned Sophie as greatest as she might, specializing in cleansing the toy out of her eyes.
“I’ve by no means heard anybody scream like that earlier than,” mentioned Noel. “It will likely be eternally embedded into my thoughts.”
The aftermath
Following the cleansing, Sophie was nonetheless uncomfortable, her face crimson. Noel took her to the Prince County Hospital, the place she was given antibiotics. She’s going to want a follow-up with an ophthalmologist to make sure she has no lasting injury in her left eye.
“She can not see out of that eye, and it’s burning, nonetheless,” mentioned Noel. “And she or he’s nonetheless having discharge out of her eye, just like the white stuff that went into her eye, we’re continually utilizing a washcloth, nonetheless.”
After the appointment, Noel went to Big Tiger to tell the workers about what had occurred. The supervisor she spoke to, Noel mentioned, was “superb,” including that he gave Sophie some new, totally different toys.
Alison Scarlett, head of public relations and communications for Big Tiger Shops Ltd., advised SaltWire Community that the Summerside retailer knowledgeable head workplace of the incident.
“The second we had been notified of the difficulty, we issued a right away pull from (the) gross sales ground for all of these merchandise whereas we investigated,” mentioned Scarlett.
The pull was nationwide, Scarlett added.
“The minute we’re notified of any potential problem, we all the time pull the product with the intention to examine,” mentioned Scarlett. “The well being and security of our prospects is paramount.”
As soon as the merchandise had been eliminated, Big Tiger notified Well being Canada and the merchandise’ vendor. From them, mentioned Scarlett, the seller might be working straight with Well being Canada relating to the matter.
Subsequent steps
Noel plans on filing her own report to Health Canada, and, sooner or later, hopes the toy and others like it is going to be crammed with substances that received’t hurt a baby, ought to the outside rupture.
“There’s no purpose there ought to be one thing that flamable in one thing like that, like a child’s toy,” mentioned Noel. “That’s loopy. I really feel prefer it’s gotta be made with one thing extra secure.”
Upon returning dwelling, Noel shared her story on Fb, hoping to warning different mother and father whose youngsters have that toy or related ones.
“I’ve seen these toys earlier than, I’ve seen them the place I work at my old-age dwelling, individuals attempting to squeeze these stress balls,” mentioned Noel. “If it might probably occur to Sophie, it might probably occur to anybody else.”
Kristin Gardiner is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. She will be reached by e mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @KristinGardiner.
