A young Queensland girl is now fighting for her life after swallowing two high-powered magnets — a danger hidden in plain sight in many households.
Three-year-old Millie, from Bundaberg, was rushed to the emergency room in early July after suffering severe stomach pain, a high fever, and vomiting bile-green fluids. Her condition spiraled rapidly, leading to organ shutdown and an emergency airlift to Brisbane’s Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Doctors quickly discovered the cause: Millie had swallowed two tiny magnets — on separate occasions. But once inside her body, they locked together through her organs, creating catastrophic damage.
Her bowels leaked, infection set in, and sepsis took over. Surgeons removed most of her intestines and drained over a liter of pus. Millie was placed in an induced coma — and her survival hung in the balance.
Her parents, Emily and Luke, now live at her bedside, hundreds of miles from home and separated from their other children. “This is every parent’s worst nightmare,” says a family friend who started a GoFundMe to cover their living costs.
The magnets that nearly killed Millie are *banned* in Australia and New Zealand — but many parents unknowingly bring them into their homes via toys, electronics, or jewelry purchased online.
“They’re so small… they don’t look dangerous. But they can kill,” the fundraiser warns. “If this reaches just one other family and saves a life, then Millie’s pain won’t be in vain.”
What Parents Need To Know:
- Magnets can be hidden in toys, jewelry, headphones, and fridges.
- Symptoms can take hours or days to appear: stomach ache, vomiting, drooling, choking, or cramps.
- Swallowed magnets can attract through intestines and cause internal ruptures, bleeding, and death.
Millie faces multiple surgeries in the weeks ahead. Her recovery will take months — if not years.
Doctors and family are urging all parents to check their homes — and spread this warning.
Share this post. Help raise awareness. Let Millie’s story be the one that saves another child.
