22 January 2024 , 21:54
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A mother is warning other parents after her daughter suffered third-degree burns on her face from a washing machine pod.
Kelly Spampinato's one-year-old daughter is currently undergoing treatment for potentially permanent injuries to her eyesight. Consequently, the Bristol mother is doing her utmost to inform parents of the dangers of storing washing machine pods under the kitchen sink.
In an interview with BristolLive, she revealed that the packaging of the pods had been recently switched to cardboard, which allowed her toddler to easily gain access. She explained: "There's supposed to be some sort of lock on there. Even I used to find it difficult to get in, but the cardboard ones are so easy to get into now."
The horrific situation emerged out of nowhere. Kelly, who cares for her own mother as well as her little girl was never in fear of her daughter stealing anything from the cupboard as she'd never shown much interest before. But now, she's doing everything in her power to make sure that parents keep dangerous items out of reach.
The chemicals in washing pods can be extremely devastated (Kelly Spampinato)
Kelly is warning other mothers of the dangers of washing pods (Kelly Spampinato)She asserted: "We all know that wash pods can be dangerous but I never knew how bad it could be and how quickly it can happen. A lot of people keep them under their sink, and I just hope that people who hear our story might know to move them and keep them somewhere children can't get to them."
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While vacuuming the living room, Kelly heard an awful scream. Rushing into the kitchen, she discovered that her daughter had sustained a nasty injury.
She explained: "She's gone to put it in the washing machine, and I'm assuming she squeezed it because when I heard her screaming, I came running in, and she was absolutely covered in the wash pod."
Kelly continued: "My first instinct was to quickly wash it off. We rang 111, and we were then sent to Southmead Hospital, where she had to have her eyes rinsed out and this chemical spray put on there to neutralise the chemicals. That was absolutely horrendous, nurses pinning her down. It was horrible seeing that happen and hearing her screaming. There was literally nothing I could do to stop the pain."
The situation has been a nightmare for Kelly, who's had to visit Bristol Eye Hospital every day since the incident. Showcasing how dangerous washing pods can be, the loving mother revealed that the doctor looking after her child had seen four children with the same issue within one week.
She explained: "She hasn't opened her eyes since it happened. On the Wednesday, I went to the Eye Hospital and saw a consultant who looked in Millie's eyes and gave us some antibiotics. On the Thursday, I knew she was not okay. Her eyes weren't opening, she was crying, she's in a lot of pain and she was really sleepy, which isn't like her whatsoever. So, I went back to Bristol Eye Hospital again."
Kelly added: "She's living in a dark world at the minute, where she's so scared she obviously can't see anything. I'm constantly talking to her, telling her that I'm here. I haven't been able to leave her at all. Even going in the car seat to her appointment, she's a bit worried because she can't see anything.
"She's on a lot of steroids and antibiotics for her eyes, and we're still unsure. Until she opens her eyes and we can see what she can see, we can go from there."