Autistic Boy, 4, Undergoes Emergency Surgery After Swallowing 37 Magnets
Translated & summarized from Channel 13 by baba
A four-year-old boy on the autism spectrum in Ramla was rushed to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery after swallowing 37 magnets at his kindergarten. His father reported the complex, four-and-a-half-hour surgery was successful, and the child has been released home with some dietary restrictions. The family expressed anger over the lack of supervision at the kindergarten, and authorities have launched investigations and removed magnetic toys from use.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- A four-year-old autistic boy swallowed 37 magnets at a Ramla kindergarten and required emergency surgery.
- The complex surgery lasted four and a half hours to remove the magnets from his digestive system.
- The boy has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home with some dietary restrictions.
- His father criticized the kindergarten staff for failing to notice the prolonged ingestion of magnets.
- Authorities have launched investigations and removed magnetic toys from use in kindergartens.
- The incident placed the child in immediate life-threatening danger.
A four-year-old boy on the autism spectrum from a kindergarten in Ramla underwent complex emergency surgery after swallowing 37 magnets during his time at school. The incident, which placed the child in immediate life-threatening danger, concluded with his release to his home for continued recovery and rehabilitation.
"The child has already been released, he is with us. He returned with some restrictions, he cannot eat everything he wants," his father, Avraham Banda, told "HaOlam HaBoker." The events began when the child started complaining of stomach pains at home. After initial treatment proved ineffective and his condition deteriorated with repeated vomiting, his parents rushed him to the emergency room. An ultrasound revealed the shocking discovery of dozens of magnets lodged in his digestive system.
The boy was immediately rushed into a lengthy and complex emergency surgery to remove the foreign objects and treat the severe damage. "The surgery took four and a half hours. He had eight holes," the father recounted.
Alongside the medical treatment and recovery process, the family is filled with anger and bewilderment over the lapse in supervision at the kindergarten. Banda expressed strong criticism and anger that the kindergarten staff did not notice his son swallowing such an unbelievable number of magnets. The family's frustration is amplified by the fact that the facility has an expanded staff responsible for a small number of children, a dynamic that should ensure close supervision and maximum alertness.
Following the severe incident, authorities announced the opening of investigations and the taking of immediate steps at educational institutions. The Ministry of Education stated, "As soon as the case became known, the toy was removed from use in the kindergarten, and at the same time, the Ministry is working to clarify procedures and increase supervision to prevent similar incidents from recurring." The Ramla Municipality stated, "Upon receiving the report of the incident, an investigation was opened with the kindergarten staff, and as a first preventive measure, all kindergartens in the city were instructed to remove this type of magnetic toy from use."