'A split second, that's what it took,' warns mother of boy who swallowed battery

Aaron Sikorski (6) from Tuam Co Galway who settled a High Court action over care he received after he swallowed a button battery when he was one years of age.

The mother of a boy who swallowed a button battery has spoken of the nine days her son was in distress before doctors removed it.

At just 13 months old, Aaron Sikorski swallowed the common household battery after getting it out of a drawer in his home.

Aaron, now six years old, settled for €220,000 a High Court action over the care he received from a GP and at the hospital emergency department.

From the first visit to the GP, it took nine-and-a-half days before a chest x-ray was carried out despite concerns raised by his mother, Marlena, that he may have swallowed a battery.

Recalling the day her son began to choke, Ms Sikorski said she had turned away from the child for a moment while making a cup of coffee.

"A split second. That's how long it took of me not watching him. When I looked at him again, he was in trouble and he was purple," she told RTÉ's Liveline.

Marlena Sikorski and her son Aaron. Picture: Collins Courts

Ms Sikorski rushed over and put her fingers down her son's throat hoping to be able to reach the object and remove it.

Although she was unable to reach the object, the action caused Aaron to throw up. Whatever was choking him did not come up but it moved enough to allow him to breathe once again.

She went straight to her GP where she explained the situation and her fear that Aaron may have swallowed a battery. However, the doctor did not think this was the case and sent her home with the advice to give Aaron paracetamol and plenty of fluids.

I know my child. I am a mother. Only a loving parent will know the child best, nobody else in the world and I knew my child wasn't okay.

Ms Sikorski did as she was told but her worries only grew as Aaron could not keep anything down and was still vomiting.

Although she had a bag packed ready for the hospital, Ms Sikorski kept reminding herself that the doctors had said that everything was okay, that he had nothing in his throat. She told herself she was overreacting.

Fearing that she was not explaining the situation properly, Ms Sikorski recorded her son having difficulties with his breathing in the hopes that if they could listen to it themselves they would believe how bad the situation was.

She was again told it was likely a bad case of croup and sent home. The medicine and advice given by the medical practitioners was not working and Aaron was only getting worse.

Over the next few days, Aaron was brought to both the GP and the emergency department of Galway University Hospital. At the hospital, a nurse noted the suspicion that there might have been a battery lodged in Aaron's throat but no chest x-ray was ordered.

"Aaron was getting worse and worse and weaker and weaker," Ms Sikorski said.

"Nine days later I had in my thoughts that he might die."

Aaron Sikorski, now 6, from Tuam Co Galway who settled a High Court action over care he received after he swallowed a button battery when he was one years of age.

Once again, she went to her GP in the hopes that this time she would be listened to but she was sent home.

"As I was leaving the GP, Aaron went purple again and he went very floppy. Really bad, he couldn't breathe. One of the receptionists in the building came to me and said, do you want me to call an ambulance?"

Nine-and-a-half days after Aaron first ingested the button battery, he was referred to the hospital and a chest x-ray was carried out where the battery was seen.

Since it had been stuck for so long, it was no longer a case of just removing the battery as it had leaked and caused serious damage. The battery had burned its way from the oesophagus to the trachea and Aaron was at high risk of internal bleeding.

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Ms Sikorski was told that if Aaron made it through the night, he would be transferred to Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin.

More than half of Aaron's trachea had to be removed due to the severe damage caused, and his oesophagus had to be repaired as there was a large hole. Aaron was in ICU for five days and then spent a further three weeks on the ward in Crumlin.

Luckily, Aaron has recovered well. There is still some dysmotility which means there is some issues with the muscles in his oesophagus but he is able to eat.

Looking back at the ordeal, Ms Sikorski simply said: "I have a son. I am glad that he is alive."