Morrow mother warning about dangers of reusable water balloons after daughter hospitalized

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A Morrow woman is warning parents about the dangers of reusable water balloons after her daughter ended up in the hospital. The reusable balloons have tiny magnets that can pose a danger to children.

Kelley Whitty's 8-year-old daughter, Leah, was drying off after the pool when suddenly, she started screaming. Leah was rushed to Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

“When we got to the actual exam room, one of the doctors came in and said it looks like it's something shiny,” Kelley said.

Doctors extracted six tiny magnets from Leah's nose.

"The force had perforated the septum because the magnets had bonded through the septum," Kelley said.

Kelley believes it came from one of the reusable water balloons stored with the towels.

"It's silicone,” Kelley explained. “If they're in the heat, it's going to expand, and they'll fall out."

Doctors said there is no long-term damage, but it could have been much worse.

"When these are ingested, they'll bond to the intestine and the colon," Kelley said. "By the time a child starts showing symptoms of being sick, they've already done so much damage there's not more they can do."

She hopes this serves as a reminder to parents to avoid toys with magnets or batteries.

"Know what you're buying and what you're giving your kids," Kelley said. "What the risks are. It doesn't matter if they're 2 or 8, there's still a risk involved."

Amazon is no longer selling these water balloons, but Kelley hopes those who have already purchased them are cautious. Meanwhile, doctors are urging parents to avoid any toys with batteries or magnets.