HANNAH Whateley faced every parent’s worst nightmare when her baby girl ate a toy that burned through her stomach. 

Araya, just 15 months old at the time, swallowed six magnetic beads, which became lodged in her intestine, causing part of her bowel to die.

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“They had to remove that part of her bowel because it had lost its blood supply,” the 29-year-old mum from Northampton, said.  

“I was distraught. It was heartbreaking seeing her like that, you feel so useless,” she added.

In February 2025, Hannah’s nine-year-old daughter, Isla, had innocently brought home some of the metallic toys after trading with another child at school.

However, the mum had no idea her baby had swallowed the small beads until Araya began vomiting and running a high temperature.

“I actually thought she had a chest infection. I decided to take her to A&E, I thought it would be something easy to deal with,” Hannah said.

At first, doctors thought Araya had gastroenteritis, and sent her home the following day.

“By the time we got to my car, she was choking on her vomit so I ran straight back in with her again,” Hannah recalled.

An X-ray revealed three of four balls inside her small intestine, the long, tube-like organ that helps digest food and absorb nutrients into the body.

“As soon as he said ‘balls’, I realised it was the magnets that my eldest had, I was thinking the worst,” the mum said.

Araya was actually really lucky – they could’ve caused even more damage and if they’d been left any longer, she could’ve lost her life

Hannah Whateley29

Hannah believes Araya mistook the beads for sweets. “They look attractive to kids,” she said.

The tot was urgently transferred to Leicester Royal Infirmary where she underwent an operation to remove the toy beads from her bowel.

After surgery, Hannah was told that doctors had found six of the magnetic beads inside her small intestine, which had “killed” a piece of her bowel.

Hannah said: “There was one side of her small intestine that [the beads] had burned a hole through.

“If it was just the one, she probably would’ve been able to pass them naturally.

“But because there was more than one, there were five on the top and one at the bottom, which had pinched with the other side and essentially killed that piece of her bowel.”

Surgeons removed part of Araya’s bowel and fitted her with a stoma bag to allow the organ to heal over the next few months.

What are magnetic beads?

Magnetic beads for children are available online and are usually advertised as brain teasers.

They can be made into different shapes, including pyramids and cubes, as well as bracelets.

One such product found by The Sun was available on Amazon for £12.99 and contained more than 200 magnetic rainbow beads.

The manufacturer’s minimum age recommendation was 18 months/

Hannah has been reassured that it’s only a temporary measure.

Araya, who is currently being tube-fed, remains in hospital after facing two further surgeries and numerous complications related to her stoma bag.

Hannah is now calling for the magnetic beads to be banned after nearly losing her daughter’s life from the “dangerous” children’s toy.

Hannah said: “Everytime I think we’re nearing to go home, it’s one step forward and one step back.

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“These beads have caused so much damage – it’s been complication after complication.

“I don’t think people realise how dangerous these actually are. I had no idea they were capable of doing this much damage.”

She added: “My main issue is that these are advertised for children.

“Araya was actually really lucky – they could’ve caused even more damage and if they’d been left any longer, she could’ve lost her life.

“Ideally I want them to be banned or at least an age limit put on them. They should be banned in schools full stop.”