Girl choked on fidget spinner part, needed surgery, mom says

HOUSTON — A Texas mother is warning others about fidget spinners, the latest toy craze, after her daughter choked on a piece of the toy.

Kelly Rose Joniec of Houston said she and her 10-year-old daughter, Britton, were on their way home Saturday when Kelly heard Britton choking in the back seat. According to the post, Kelly pulled over and found Britton had swallowed one of the bearings from her fidget spinner.

After an unsuccessful attempt to remove the small piece of metal with the Heimlich maneuver, Kelly took Britton to the nearest urgent care center, she wrote in the post.

An X-ray revealed the round metal bearing was lodged in the girl’s esophagus and required immediate surgery.

In a Facebook post, Joniec wrote, "Britton was taken to surgery to endoscopically locate and remove the object. Fortunately, we had a positive outcome, but it was pretty scary there for a while ... not only because of the initial ingestion, but then the concern about the composition and structure of the object, and finally, the risk with general anesthesia."

In a statement to CNN, the Joneic family said, "Our full attention and focus is on caring for our daughter and ensuring she continues to lead a healthy life."

CNN said efforts to reach the makers of the fidget spinner for comment were not successful. According to a CNN report, Learning Express Toys, which carries the gadgets online and in stores across the country, has a warning for consumers on its website.

The warning states that their fidget spinners contain small parts that present a choking hazard, and are not for children under 3 years old.

Cox Media Group