How two small magnets put 3yo Millie’s life under threat as they locked together and sliced through her bowel

They were two small, seemingly innocuous magnets. But they caused havoc on little Millie’s body, nearly killing her.

The trouble started in early July when the three-year-old complained of stomach pains, had a fever, was vomiting and her skin was pale.

She was taken to Bundaberg Hospital in Queensland, where doctors and nurses became increasingly desperate as Millie’s condition continued to deteriorate.

On July 7, she was flown to Brisbane Children’s Hospital and her parents Luke and Emily were told that their daughter’s life hung in the balance.

Millie’s stomach had expanded, her bowels had stopped working and she was no longer passing urine.

It was discovered that two small powerful magnets she had swallowed at separate times were to blame.

They had locked together inside her gut, slicing through three layers of her bowel.

“Her bowel had been leaking into her stomach, leading to a severe infection and sepsis,” family friend Jesika wrote on a gofundme page.

Millie was placed in an induced coma and put on life support, with doctors telling her parents that her surviving was touch and go.

In a delicate surgery, doctors had to remove most of her bowel and drained more than a litre of pus.

Millie has a stoma, faces months more in hospital and will need several surgeries in the future to save what is left of her bowel.

Jesika was keen to warn other parents of the dangers of magnets to children.

“Doctors say they see this often — and that it’s not well-known how dangerous magnets can be when swallowed by children,” she told the Courier Mail.

“These tiny but powerful magnets can be found in toys, fridges, electronics, even jewellery.

“There is simply not enough awareness and it almost cost Millie her life.”