Inquisitive toddler Payton Bushnell is lucky to be alive after swallowing 37 high-powered magnets.
The three-year-old complained of a stomach ache, and when she didn't recover, her parents, Kelli and Aaron took her to the doctors, where they were alarmed to see not one, not even two, but 37 magnets in her tummy on an X-ray!
The magnets were from Payton's parents' Buckyballs, a popular magnetic game they had at home. The magnets ripped three holes in Payton's lower intestines and one in the stomach.
"They saw a circle had formed in her stomach, and they thought she swallowed a bracelet," Payton's mother, Kelli told KPTV. "If we had any idea what those magnets could have done to our daughter's intestines I would have never had them in our house."
Doctors immediately took Payton into surgery when the magnets showed up on her x-ray, and were fortunately able to save her life by removing the 37 antibodies. She is now on her way to a full recovery.
"In all the research I have done, I have never seen any child swallow more than 10 magnets," nurse Sandy Nipper, from Randall Children's Hospital, told the channel.
"When I heard 37 magnets were swallowed, my nurse's mind raced to what taking 37 strong magnets could do to a fantastic little three-year-old girl, and it frightened me to death."
"Her mom and I prayed and hoped she'd get through it," said Payton's dad, Aaron. "When they roll your daughter out with tubes sticking out of her, you don't know how strong you are until all you can be, is strong."
Good luck with your recovery, Payton!