Family Wants Others To Know Dangers Of Batteries And Toddlers
BEULAH, Colo. (CBS4)- One Colorado family wants to spread the word about the dangers of batteries after their son nearly died when he swallowed one the size of a nickel.
"It was really scary to think that this was actually happening to us," said mother Dana Lacey.
She was terrified last year when she heard her 1-year-old son Brock choking.
"I went right around the corner, I was putting in a load of laundry and about 60 seconds went by, it was extremely quick, I heard him choking and I ran in there," said Dana.
The choking quickly stopped but they went to see the doctor as a precaution. Soon, Brock was back to playing and eating like normal.
But in the middle of the night he got a high fever. They rushed him to the emergency room in Pueblo County where an X-ray revealed a dangerous problem.
"I could just read it on her face that something was really wrong and it was just a matter of 'Just please tell us what it is,'" said Dana.
A lithium battery was lodged in Brock's esophagus. After it was removed, the crisis was far from over.
"It was that time they came out and the nurse gave me a bottle with a corroded black coin-looking item and I said, 'It leaked, didn't it?' and he said, 'It's black, it's burnt and I've never seen anything like it,'" said Dana.
Brock was airlifted to the Children's Hospital in Aurora where he was in the critical care unit for a month.
The battery acid had burned a hole in his esophagus and had leaked chemicals into his body.
"I had to know. I said, 'Do you think Brock is going to die?' She said, 'In my heart of hearts, I don't think he's going to die but I don't think you will bring home the same child that you brought onto this Earth,'" said Dana.
Once he was released from the hospital, Brock remained on a feeding tube for five months. One year later, he is healthy and plays soccer with his big sister.
The Laceys want people to know that everyday items like your car remote can contain the batteries that kids can get a hold of. Doctors at Children's Hospital in Aurora told CBS4 they see an average of 18 button battery ingestions a year.
