A 10-month-old baby has been left in a coma fighting for his life after biting into a laundry detergent capsule while his mom’s back was turned.
According to the Daily Record, Pearce Shepherd ingested the capsule at his family home in Lennoxtown, Scotland, UK, and suffered toxic chemical burns to his stomach.
Reports suggest that doctors believe Pearce will survive the ordeal, but that the road to recovery will be long and arduous. As yet they haven’t given his stricken parents a timeline.
The 10-month-old was rushed to hospital after the incident and placed in an induced coma. Mom Melissa Cairney, 27, was doing laundry at the family home when she turned around to see her baby son had the capsule held to his mouth.
She explained: “I was in the kitchen making dinner and putting a washing on. All of the children were nearby.
“One of the tablets must have fallen from the work top onto the floor.
“Before I knew it, Pearce had grabbed one and pricked the corner off it. It all happened too quickly.
“He seemed okay but I text my mum and she said to go to A&E.”
Melissa and Pearce’s dad, David Shepherd, were told that an ambulance might take up to an hour, so decided to drive to the hospital themselves. Yet a mere 15 minutes into the journey things began to take a turn for the worse.
Melissa, a mom-of-five, said: “We had only gotten as far as Torrance when Pearce started vomiting and having bad diarrhoea.
“He went floppy and he looked at me, but it was like he was dead behind the eyes.
“I was constantly screaming and shouting at him to make sure he was still awake.
“I didn’t know what was going on. I felt helpless.”
Upon arriving at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, Pearce was immediately taken into theater, where medics found that his stomach had been burned by toxic chemicals in the detergent.
Not only that, but the baby boy’s lungs were also swollen. Doctors placed him in a coma, where he remains, and are not sure how long his recovery will take, nor what the long-term effects may be.
Mom Melissa said: “The doctors and nurses have been amazing and told me that Pearce will survive this.
“But they don’t know how long it will take for his body to recover or what damage this could do to him long-term until he wakes from the coma.”
She continued: “I couldn’t believe how dangerous such a small amount of the liquid could be.
“I know products are poisonous but I didn’t think it would have put my baby in a coma.
“There are so many strong chemicals in just one capsule.
“Pearce swallowed a tiny amount and he’s ended up in intensive care.
“We just want to raise awareness and make sure this doesn’t happen to any other families.”
Yet another example of just how quickly things can change, and how important it is to always remain vigilant where young babies are concerned. We’re sending all our thoughts and prayers in Pearce’s direction!
Share this article if you, too, want to lend this little boy strength with your prayers.
