Girl Swallows 30 Magnets, Steel Balls

Toy's Parts "Looked Like Candy" To Her; They Rip 8 Holes In Her Intestines; "Lucky To Be Alive"

(CBS)  An eight-year-old Indiana girl swallowed 30 magnets and steel balls from a toy last month and, her father says, needed emergency surgery to save her from what doctors told him were eight gunshot or stab-like holes in her intestines.

Haley Lents told Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez Monday she ingested the ten magnets and 20 steel balls because they "looked like candy."

Haley's father, Jason Lents, told CBS News he "really" doesn't understand how Haley could have consumed the parts, because she "gets A's and B's, and we taught her not to do stuff like this."

Jason says doctors told him Haley is lucky to be alive. She spent two weeks in the hospital.

He says he and his wife were in the same room as Haley in their Huntingburg home when she consumed the items, and they didn't even realize it. He says they rushed Haley to the hospital two days later when she began experiencing pain so severe she could barely stand up.

The parts came from a toy called Magnetix, made by Mega Brands, which issued a statement about the incident: ""Mega Brands was saddened to learn that a child sustained injury from ingesting a large number of toy parts, some of which apparently contained magnets. While we have not been able to confirm whether the toy involved was a MEGA Brands product, it is clear this was a highly unusual and isolated situation and is not indicative of any problem with Mega Brands' magnetic construction toys currently on the market. In general, if a child swallows 30 pieces of any toy, it is likely that it will result in harm regardless of the toy in question."

Haley told Rodriguez she wants other kids to know they shouldn't eat toy parts.

Jason also wants to get the word out. He pointed out to Rodriguez that, "These are high intensity magnets. There are so many parents out there that have no idea that these toys -- it just takes two magnets to kill someone. ... And because they are so easy to swallow ... (Mega Brands hasn't) done enough. Now, Mega ... has said that, coming out in July of '08, next month, that they have a completely redesigned magnetic set that contains no magnetic parts that can be swallowed. ... They obviously feel that there's an issue."

To see the complete interview of Haley and Jason Lents, click on the video below.

[gopsoccermom]

This is the product of liberal parents.

[matisyahu3]

Shut the hell up. This is the product of a dumb girl. Just because you get good grades doesn''t mean you have common sense. Besides, she was only 8, it''s hard to NOT get A''s and B''s

[l8c6]

Haley should have a child psychiatric evaluation. Those parts don''t look like candy. In another year or so Haley might be in the news again having swallowed a can of oil thinking it was a stout.

[displeased]

gopsoccermom, I bet you don''t have many friends...

As far as the girl, it sounds like a case of pica to me.

[thereis1]

as far as im concerned, this girl is clearly mentally handicapped or just an idiot. what kind of 8 year old does that??? kids stick things in there mouth, but i know 8 year old know better.
and if she is mentally handicapped, then her parents are a bunch of idiots for giving her magnetic pieces to play with.

[maedean]

Wow she gets A''s and B''s in school.So she is flagged smarter than the other kids her age. Society makes me sick with this good grade crapp. The graveyard is full of kids with good grades. What good did her A''s and B''s do for her here ????

[haoli25]

She seems to have swallowed quite a LODE.
lol

[credibility2]

What type of upbringing did this kid get? At eight years old she should know the score. Eating toy parts sounds to me like the kid might be emotionally and mentally imbalanced. Perhaps she inherited this from her imbecilic parents?

[displeased]

Hey sharkbait911, we get the point!

[sharkbait911]

I''m sorry but an eight year old should know better than to swallow these kinds of items. Babies & Toddlers I can understand, 5 year olds maybe... but an eight year old?! This child has problems!

[sharkbait911]

I''m sorry but an eight year old should know better than to swallow these kinds of items. Babies & Toddlers I can understand, 5 year olds maybe... but an eight year old?! This child has problems!

[maedean]

sharkbait911
Do you think everyone wants to see your crapp over and over because we don''t !! Your comments are not special !!!!

[heero2020]

You would think after 1 or 2 of those things she''d realize they didn''t taste as sweet as other candies. Something ain''t right.

[rhb1963]

the way the father sounds, he and his wife should be absolved of ALL RESPONSIBILITY for what happened to thir child. Toys are made for a certain age, and as with all toys parental supervision should be provided. As a father of 3 myself I know that is a very difficult thing. But, I myself would feel responsible if one of my kids did something that STUPID afteer they were taught not to. Especially eating 30 pieces. What were these parents looking at?????? The insides of their eyelids???????

[quetzalcrist]

Yet onother Mensa Candidate,
FYI, Mensa in Spanish is Du.mb.a.ss.

[roger_inkart]

It reminds me of The Simpsons ep where Homer keeps sticking crayon after crayon up his nose...

Dumb kid. Sorry, not the manufactur''s at all. (but I''ve no doubt many blood-sucking lawyers are frantically calling the family at this moment.)

[roger_inkart]

This is the product of liberal parents.

Posted by gopsoccermom at 10:24 AM : Jun 02, 2008

You are severly derranged. What kind of twisted and demented world do you live in where EVERY incident is seen in terms of political beliefs? I would hope you''re just trying to get a rise out of people and get attention. You can''t seriously believe the garbage you post, do you?

Really, you need help.

[megamanx1-2009]

IT TOOK HER 30 PIECES TO REALIZE THAT WASN''T CANDY? SORRY DAD, YOUR DAUGTHER IS RETARDED. OH AND SHE CAN''T READ EITHER BECAUSE I GUARANTEE THE BOX SAYS NOTHING ABOUT CANDY....

YOUR DAUGHTER''S A MORON DAD.

[talkingham]

These sets were part of a major recall in 2007 on the same problem, children ingesting parts of the toy. Too bad this story didn''t mention the size of the balls it would help consumers identify which sets they have versus this one. This has been an ongoing problem for the this product manufactured in China now for at least two years. There had already been one death caused by the balls being swallowed but the story of course fails to mention this because the writer probably didn''t even do a web search on this stupid product.

[roger_inkart]

This is the product of liberal parents.

Posted by gopsoccermom at 10:24 AM : Jun 02, 2008

Suuuuure! The tiny town of Huntingburg, Indiana - population 5,598 - is just CRAWLING with liberals I have no doubt.

[ajaxrose1]

When I saw this I thought the kid must be a toddler, too little to understand the difference between candy and toys. I have to know too, is this kid challenged in some way? Seriously, for an 8 yr. old to do something this ridiculously STUPID she must have issues of some kind. And of course the parents want to blame everyone but the kid and themselves. Has anyone stopped to ask if maybe they had the kid swallow a few to generate a high dollar lawsuit and she just got carried away? I just DO NOT buy it that an 8 yr. old of normal intelligence would swallow something just because it "looked like candy." Please.

[johnstossel]

All is not lost. Some ambulance chasing asstorney will get rich on this one.

[makemyday2da]

My thoughts, also, that she must have been a toddler. This is ridiculous - if an 8-yr-old can''t tell the difference between magnetic balls and candy, there''s a problem somewhere. A''s and B''s? Doubtful! Maybe she just had a curiousity as to what would happen if.... Well, now she knows. And now her family has their ''15 minutes of fame'' - but hopefully not one cent from the manufacturer. This is the parents responsibility to teach their kids not to swallow their toys - among other obvious deeds!

[talkingham]

Gopsuckermom would you please stop giving soccer such a bad name? Your posts are absurd. When you aren''t cheering the death of "liberals" as ordained by God you are making some of the most absurd off-topic posts on the forums.

[neenga]

The kid isn''t retarded, but likely has pica tendencies. http://www.metrokc.gov/health/tsp/pica.htm

[e7eryday]

We knew a 10 year old kid who swallowed a quarter because he saw Criss Angel do it on tv. His parents wouldn''t allow he and his siblings watch Harry Potter because of witchcraft yet he could watch Criss Angel. Rather ironic that he MAY have understood the concept of ILLUSION had he been allowed to read the Potters or other works of fiction.

Parents should have to have licenses before being allowed to breed.

[edward1975-2009]

Pedophiles in Texas are salivating.

[sempson]

If my child was stupid enough to swallow that many magnets and balls the last place I would want to be is on television.

[quetzalcrist]

they aint too smart in Indiana i reccon..

[Gary Kempf]

Parents should have to have licenses before being allowed to breed.

It true, because these parents should have had to pass a intelligence test before being allowed to have children.

[mswolfestock]

gopsoccermom, PLEASE get a life! Quit giving soccer a bad name. How can you be a real soccer mom, when the children of liberals and Democrats play soccer, too. And how about all of those foreign countries that love soccer to the point that they riot and kill each other over soccer matches? gopsoccermom, you are an oxymoron . . . . . or maybe just a moron.

[rhb1963]

The EArly Show should be Ashamed of themselves for even showing this story!!! All this did was give fodder for some money grubbing lawyer to talk these two hick parents into filing a lawsuit against this company because their dumb as a stump kid ate 30 count em 30 balls and magnets. PUHLEASE!!! Give me a freaking break. Do these people take the public for idiots?


But, ya know, the sad part is. They probably could win the suit because this world is too PC and NO ONE wants to take responsibility for their actions. They''d rather blame the people with the money and make them pay for the mistakes that they themselves made as parents.

Maybe the police should look into child neglect or endangerment charges for that girls parents. The whole thing seems a little fishy to me.

[ksjeff-2009]

God, save us from stupid children and their parents.

[spadeisspade]

"Come on honey, just 15 more and then you might be able to go to college after Daddy pays off his rifle loans..."

[alexma50085]

Haley''s father, Jason Lents, told CBS News he "really" doesn''t understand how Haley could have consumed the parts, because she "gets A''s and B''s, and we taught her not to do stuff like this."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I guess they didn''t teach her well enough, since she swallowed THIRTY pieces, while they sat in the same room with her. I know that I don''t watch my children every second of the day, but I do know that they are up to trouble when they become too quiet.

[griking]

Perhaps someone should be watching this child while she''s in school to make sure she isn''t sticking pencils up her nose

[downsteamjim]

It''s a shame that she wasn''t old enough to run for President. We need someone with balls.

[gopsoccermom]

alexma50085, only one explanation. Liberals on meth.

[alexma50085]

gopsoccermom,

Stop trying to make every situation political. Liberal and conservative have nothing to do with stupid parents allowing their child to swallow toys. For all we know the parents could be back woods red neck conservatives.

[gopsoccermom]

alexma50085, oh I forgot. Remember those Dragnet TV shows from back in the 1960''s? There was an episode where the parents accidently drowned their baby because they went into the other room while the bathwater was running and got high and the sweet downed.

[michellem99-2009]

I am sorry people. THE GIRL WAS DUMB TO HAVE DONE THIS. Now she is telling other kids not to do. If she got high marks in lessions then they taught her not to do things like this, were the bloody parents Blind. It had to be a reason why this child did this. I could not ewad at her age but I knew that yer don''t do this. WHY.

[nothappyatall]

Haley Lents told Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez Monday she ingested the ten magnets and 20 steel balls because they "looked like candy."

Haley''s father, Jason Lents, told CBS News he "really" doesn''t understand how Haley could have consumed the parts, because she "gets A''s and B''s, and we taught her not to do stuff like this."


Yep, the dumbing down of American at its finest, kid eats whatever because it LOOKS like candy, but gee, does the first one TASTE or chew like candy? No? well, maybe I need to eat 29 more to determine what kind of candy this is! I should swill it down with a little drain cleaner from under the sink because it LOOKS like Gatorade.

It
s genetic, stupid people breed stupid children, keep in mind this one could someday be your bus driver, airline pilot, or engineer who calculates the safe foundation loads for that new building you work in, scary!

[cantshutup]

well what the he ll did this kid do this for? i''d whoop her a$$! but it''s funny, the dad, he said he was surprised cuz she''s soooo smart?? hey pappy...i ain''t seein it! if they sue the toy maker i''m gonna vomit! this is one case where if a toy maker sells age appropriate toys with warning labels that if a dum b re **** kid swallows the junk, then too da mn bad!OMG!***!

[cantshutup]

that is too funny newster1...
Yep, the dumbing down of American at its finest, kid eats whatever because it LOOKS like candy, but gee, does the first one TASTE or chew like candy? No? well, maybe I need to eat 29 more to determine what kind of candy this is! I should swill it down with a little drain cleaner from under the sink because it LOOKS like Gatorade.


too funny!

[gopsoccermom]

globlwarning, its the modern liberal woman. They cant take responsibility for anything they have done wrong and they blame others. Thus they never learn and the cycle of stupidity goes round and round.

[countrygrl01]

This is ridiculous the child is old enough to know better than to put things in her mouth! Even if she did think it was candy Im pretty sure after the first piece, she knew it wasnt.

[wtfinternets]

What''s really funny to me is that all of the people commenting on this article possess the grammar, spelling, and general writing skills equivalent to someone who would see magnet-eating as a perfectly acceptable pastime.

[expatriate07]

Hey, maybe the kid has an eating disorder, or the parents don''t feed her enough?

[Latrocinor]

$50,000,000 awarded by jury...

[purple1138]

I think the dad had something to do with this. Maybe he told her to do it! I think an eight yr old knows not to swallow them. My 5 yr old wouldn''t even do that! I think it is all to get money!!! That is the problem w/this country we can sue for anything!