Girl who swallowed fidget spinner part recovering, family attorney says

Social media post goes viral with thousands of comments about controversial toy

HOUSTON – A 10-year-old girl who swallowed part of a popular toy onSaturday is out of the hospital and recovering, according to her family’s attorney.

Kelly Rose Joniec’s daughter swallowed part of a fidget spinner, and Joniec posted a now-viral Facebook message about the incident. The post has been shared more than 545,000 times.

PHOTOS: Girl swallowed fidget spinner part

In the message, Joniec explained that she and her daughter were coming home from a swim meet when she heard her daughter in the back seat making odd noises.

“Looking back in the mirror, I saw her face turning red and drool pouring from her mouth – she could utter noises, but looked panicked, so I immediately pulled over,” Joneic wrote. “She pointed to her throat, saying she'd swallowed something.”

LISTEN: 911 call after child chokes on spinner



Joniec wrote that she tried to perform the Heimlich maneuver, but nothing came out. Joneic’s daughter told her that she’d put a part of her fidget spinner in her mouth to clean it and somehow swallowed it.

They went to an urgent care facility and Joniec’s daughter was taken via ambulance to Texas Children’s Hospital – The Woodlands. An X-ray showed the fidget spinner part lodged in her esophagus.

“The GI doctor was fascinated,” Joneic wrote. “He'd only just learned of fidget spinners that morning when he was at the mall with his son, so it was a surprise to be faced with one in a case a few hours later.”

Joneic’s daughter had to have surgery to have the fidget spinner part removed. The family’s attorney told KPRC 2 that the girl is out of the hospital and recovering, but it’s too soon to tell if there is any permanent damage.

The family said it is too early to talk about a lawsuit.

Reaction to Joniec's post has been mixed, with some attacking the family, the toy manufacturers and even the girl herself for the incident. The post has garnered nearly 55,000 comments.

Read the full post: