‘Words cannot describe that level of pain.. it’s crippling’
Uncle to climb UK’S highest peak in memory of tragic toddler Hughie
The heartbroken uncle of a Motherwell toddler who tragically died after swallowing a battery will scale Ben Nevis in a bid to raise awareness of the dangers of button cells to children.
James Mcmahon, from Lochgilphead in Argyll and Bute, will don a Spider-man costume when he takes on the 1345m climb in July in memory of his nephew, Hughie.
The 30-year-old and his family were left heartbroken when the 17-month-old passed away on Boxing Day last year.
Hugh accidentally swallowed a button-type battery on Christmas Eve.
After suffering three heart attacks, the ingestion of battery acid caused too much damage to little Hughie’s body and the toddler sadly passed away in his parents’ arms.
James has described the grief after losing his nephew as “crippling” but says raising awareness about the dangers of the batteries helps to ease the family’s pain.
Speaking to our sister paper, the Daily Record, he said: “I don’t want any other family to go through what my family has been through.
“It was heartbreaking to watch my brother go through that. I have a son myself and words cannot describe that level of pain. It is crippling.
“The family has taken it really hard, as you could imagine, but I think that getting the word out there and raising awareness has helped us to get through it.”
James and Hughie’s mum and dad, Hugh and Christine, want parents to pay close attention to the objects that their children are playing with.
The batteries – which vary from five to 25 millimetres in size – can be found in a multitude of objects, including toys, remote controls, watches and key fobs.
James added: “Aside from being small and being very easy to drop, they’re in a lot of things that you wouldn’t normally think they are in.
“I used to give my wee one the car keys to play with but I wouldn’t dream of it now.
“If there is any item at all with batteries in it that I can see he is playing with, I take it off him and we want other parents to start doing this, too.
“I want parents to be mindful and to check any toys before the point of purchase.
“Kids will play with anything – it’s just in their nature – but I want mums and dads to keep a watchful eye on the stuff they’re picking up.
“These batteries are lethal and can actually burn through arteries and your throat. That is what tragically happened to our wee Hughie.”
As the dad-of-one prepares to climb the highest mountain in the UK, he will coin in cash for a cause close to his heart.
“I’ll be raising funds for the Children Accident Prevention Trust”, he said.
“They do great work. If sharing this story can help even one family understand the dangers of these batteries, then it will be worth it.”
And, by dressing up as a Marvel character during the hike, James hopes to reach the eyes of children.
He added: “We’re going to dress up as Marvel characters so kids can see the story and become aware of the dangers of these batteries.
“It might take one kid to turn around to their mum or dad and say, why are they dressing up like that? Then they understand the dangers themselves.
“Hughie was the most smiley, bubbliest and happiest wee boy. He was only one-and-a-half but whenever you saw him, he always had a smile on his face.
“He was just so bright and full of life. “I don’t want any other child to suffer the way Hughie did.”