A viral TikTok trend has landed a 9 year old boy in the hospital. After her son nearly died, this boy’s mother is speaking out.
Yet another dangerous viral TikTok trend is making the rounds, and this one had severe consequences for a 9 year old boy in Scotland, who nearly died after swallowing several tiny magnets.
Jack Mason was rushed into surgery after the magnets attached to each other in his abdomen, blocking his bowels, and causing severe pain and violent vomiting.
His mom wasn’t sure what was causing his symptoms, but after a bit of prodding, the boy admitted that he had swallowed the magnets in an attempt to take part in a viral challenge where kids were putting the magnets into their mouths to resemble tongue piercings.
During his surgery, doctors removed Jack’s appendix, a portion of his small intestine, and nearly a foot of his large intestine.
“It was explained to me that the damage these magnets can cause could be so extreme that he might not pull through,” the boy’s mother, Carolann McGeoch said. “Through floods of tears I then had to sign my permission to the operation, acknowledging that ‘anything could happen.'”
“Jack is lucky to be alive. If his experience can prevent other kids from enduring the same, then I will do everything I can to do that,” she added.
McGeoch is now warning other parents to search their children’s belongings for magnets, telling them to dispose of them before their kids end up getting hurt too.
According to reporting from the BBC, 65 children in Britain have required emergency surgery in the last three years to remove magnets.
The Parent-Teacher Association at Jack Mason’s school has issued a statement about the incident, which read:
“We were really concerned when we heard one of our very own P5 pupils has been gravely ill in hospital and had to undergo serious & life changing surgery — all due to a TikTok challenge involving magnets. We really want to try and reach as many families as possible and we all wish Jack a speedy recovery and hope he will be back in school very soon.”
