Safety call after man chokes on a sensory ball
AYOUNG man died after choking on a soft sensory ball at a day centre for people with learning disabilities.
Now his mother has launched a campaign calling for such balls to carry safety warnings.
Louis Rawlinson, aged 27, was attending the
Cherwell Centre in Heywood when he swallowed the squidgy ball. An inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.
His mother, Andrea, 47, from Heywood, said: “My son had learning disabilities and other health conditions and he attended a day centre.
“Unfortunately on July 19 last year he was playing with his sensory toys like he always did and he choked on a sensory ball that was one of his items that he played with.
“They had finished their morning activities. Lou was assisted in the bathroom with some personal care. He came back in and he had a seizure.
“The ball is just under the size of a tennis ball.
“They have beads inside and are very mallable. It has gone into his throat and all the way down.
“It caused him to have a cardiac arrest at the day centre.
“The paramedics managed to get a tube in and give up some oxygen.
“It was only when he was at Fairfield Hospital in Bury that an anaesthetist who was putting a ventilation tube in was noticed that the ball was right down his throat, just on top of his vocal chords.
“It has gone right down his esophagus and because of the lack of oxygen for ten minutes, it led to him passing away six days later with brain damage.
“My mission now is to campaign to make people aware of how dangerous these balls are.
“They are readily available and not all have warnings on them.
“Because of my son’s complex needs, it was something he used all the time, something he played with every day at the centre. It ended up going in his mouth and being the cause of his death.
“It went to an inquest and was classed as an accidental death.
“When I mentioned to the coroner I was doing this campaign she thought it was a fantastic idea. The balls are aimed at people with special needs and autism. You can buy boxes of 15 of them.
“For us, as a family, we want warnings put on them clearly, or even a ban on them. They are a risk. The fire in my belly is to get the message out there and so hopefully no other family has to go through what we have.
“You wouldn’t think that something the size of the ball involved would be a choking risk.
“But because it is made of a material that squidges and once it was in his throat it was like a snake contracting its prey, every time it contracted it moved down. For me that shows they are a risk.
“He was 27, he was supervised, he had had it for three years.
“I have told people I know that have children to get rid of them - they are too dangerous.
“Louis has left a massive hole in our lives. For 27 years my role was to look after Lou.
“The ball was made of thermoplastic rubber.
“Its purpose for Louis was to helping his swimming and as a sensory object developed for children and adults with sensory needs and autism.
“I would like to see more advanced warnings on these objects to even a possible ban to having them put as a high risk factor for risk assessments.
“I feel it’s not just in Louis area that is a concern all types of children have them as so readily available and cheap.
“Louis had his for three years and it was one of his favourite sensory items it just highlights how they can become so dangerous.”
Andrea does not blame the day centre for what happened.
“No not at all the day centre loved him and he loved them. They did everything they could for him and nobody was to blame in person wise as it was just a split second thing.
“What I find culpable was the ball itself. They (the day centre) have now banned them across all areas that the company covers which in my eyes is amazing.”
In a statement issued to BBC Radio Manchester, The Cherwell Centre said: “We absolutely loved Loius and everyone here is devastated by this tragedy. We totally and unequivacably support Andrea’s campaign to upgrade the warnings around squidgy balls and other potential choking hazards.”
The centre has banned all sensory balls and trained staff to carry out person specific choking risk assessments.