A 13-month-old baby in Birmingham, UK, has been left with life-changing injuries after accidentally drinking household drain cleaner he mistook for milk. The toddler, identified as Sam Anwar Alshameri from Highgate, suffered severe internal burns, a heart attack, and permanent damage to his mouth and airway following the incident in May this year, according to The Sun.
Sam’s father, Nadeen Alshameri, said the toddler had wandered into the bathroom while his mother was cleaning and picked up a white bottle of drain cleaner placed on the floor. “He thought the bottle was milk,” Nadeen said, adding, “By the time we knew what had happened, it was already burning him.”
Aftermath of the accident
According to the report by The Sun, the corrosive liquid burned Sam’s lips, mouth, tongue and airway, causing life-threatening internal burns and leaving him unable to speak. “When we went to the hospital it was burning his airway and his mouth, he can’t say a word now,” Nadeen said. “They told me they had never seen it before. They had to find the best doctor because it was the first time this had happened,” the father added.
Sam was rushed to Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where he went into cardiac arrest. “His heart stopped for nearly three minutes,” Nadeen recalled. “They brought him back to life and took him to intensive care. I can’t ever forget that moment,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Sam was rushed to Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where he went into cardiac arrest. “His heart stopped for nearly three minutes,” Nadeen recalled. “They brought him back to life and took him to intensive care. I can’t ever forget that moment,” he said.
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What did the doctors say?
Doctors later removed his nasal feeding tube and inserted a permanent tube into his stomach. His mouth has begun to seal shut, leaving only a tiny opening that prevents him from swallowing food or drink. “They can’t see inside his mouth. They don’t know what’s happening because every doctor tells me something different,” Nadeen said.
Sam is back home for now, but he remains on a waiting list for urgent reconstructive surgery. Nadeen said the family had been told an operation could take place “next week, next month”, but no date has been confirmed. “NHS told me we are in good hands, but nothing is happening… I can’t wait anymore. My boy is sick,” he said.
The father added that some doctors have said surgery may be possible, while others are uncertain due to the rarity of Sam’s injuries.
The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for treatment abroad. “With rent, food, everything my wife and I we are just surviving,” Nadeen said. “I can’t save enough for surgery abroad. I need help. I’m so worried about my kid. This is my baby. I just want him to be okay,” he added.