Part Of Toddler's Colon & Intestines Removed After Swallowing Magnets

DENVER (CBS4) - A Denver mother is warning other parents about the danger of magnets after her toddler swallowed two of them this month. He had to have emergency surgery to repair his bowel.

"His belly is nice and flat. It's not bloated or anything like that," said pediatric surgeon, Dr. Sarah Lai while examining little Izadore Lawyer.

"He looks great," Lai said, giving the 2-year-old a clean bill of health.

Two weeks ago, however, it was touch and go for Izzy. His mother, Alistair, explained it all started with vomiting.

"Two weeks prior, our whole family had the stomach flu so I was, 'Oh great, another bug,' " said Alistair.

Then Izzy started throwing up blood.

"It was absolutely terrifying," Alistair said.

Alistair and husband, Jacob, rushed their toddler to the emergency room at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. An X-ray showed two magnets stuck together in Izzy's bowel.

"And all of a sudden, Izadore could die," said an emotional Alistair.

She bought the powerful magnets for a small succulent garden with wine corks that attached to the refrigerator. Izzy swallowed two extra magnets that had slipped down the fridge.

"It caused four holes (in his bowel)," explained Lai.

Lai performed emergency surgery, sewing one hole in the boy's small intestine. She removed part of the small intestine and part of his colon.

"He'll do just fine," said Lai.

Izzy's mother has taken to Facebook, begging parents with the magnets to throw them away.

"They're so small, and they're heavy that a toddler is more likely to swallow them, and then it's just a ticking time bomb," Alistair explained.

The Lawyers consider themselves very lucky. They are grateful their little boy was in good hands.

Lai said, within the last year, she has already had three cases of children swallowing magnets.