Aussie mother shares urgent warning after popular Christmas gift left her in hospital: ‘I was fully blinded’
A young mother who was hospitalized after being hit in the eye by a toy Nerf gun bullet has warned other families to be careful when using a popular Christmas gift.
Australian woman passing by manon_el on TikTok this week shared a warning video on the social media platform, explaining that her retina was close to detaching after an accident, which could cause permanent damage to her retina.
“Just a public service announcement. If you get a Nerf gun this year, don’t shoot anyone in the face,” the woman pleaded.
“Yesterday my sister shot me in the eye and I instantly went blind. Obviously it was an accident, but it hit me in the left eye and it hurt a lot.”
An Australian mother (pictured) warned others on TikTok to be careful with Nerf guns after she was hit in the eye on Christmas Day, leaving her with significant injuries.
The Nerf brand, owned by Hasbro and valued at more than $460 million, sells toys that, depending on the model, can shoot foam darts or small gel balls.
Nerf guns, manufactured by American toy conglomerate Hasbro, are plastic guns similar to squirt guns but fire different pellets depending on the model.
These projectiles include foam darts, of which there are about 24 different types, and gel “blasters,” which are small balls of water-absorbing polymer.
“When I opened my eye after the blow, everything was black. Then I went to the hospital and everything was white,” the woman explained.
“I couldn’t see anything, I was completely blinded. They did several tests and eventually my vision came back, but it was blurry and unclear.”
The woman has already been discharged from the hospital and returned home.
“My eye is badly damaged and I’m not out of action yet. “I’m on strict bed rest because my retina is likely to detach if I move too much.”
“So I shouldn’t do that because I don’t want to be blinded forever.”
She added that she is now taking steroid drops to prevent her pupil from turning into a cat’s eye and doctors will assess whether surgery is required.
According to the Mayo Clinic, this type of surgery involves healing retinal tears using laser or freezing, and then using a temporary gas bubble to create pressure inside the eye, which forces the retina to reattach.
If this is done within a few days after the injury, vision can be fully restored.
On Tuesday, the woman shared news that her vision had returned and she returned to the hospital, where doctors said the injury was healing well.
But she added that doctors said her pupil could remain oval-shaped forever.
A woman told how she was hospitalized after a toy projectile hit her in the eye, revealing that one pupil was significantly larger than the other.
Commenters on her video said it was a good warning and they would show it to their children.
“My kids have gotten nerves this year… I’m going to show them this because they just won’t listen and I’m thinking about taking them back,” one mother said.
“My horse hit me in the face and my eye did the same: blindness, double vision, and within a month my pupil was back to normal,” said another.
“You’re handling the situation incredibly well, I’m so sorry this happened, I hope you recover quickly and the damage isn’t permanent,” added a third.
This is not the first time injuries have been reported from Nerf guns, with gel blasters being a particular concern.
Between December 2018 and May 2019, eight Queensland children were admitted to hospital with eye injuries from toys.
Gel blasters (pictured) are considered “regulated imitation firearms” in all Australian states except Queensland, and owners must register the weapon and have a license to operate it.
Many Australian states have recently ruled that the gel blaster version must be registered as a firearm and owners must obtain a valid firearms license, similar to paintball guns.
Queensland is the only state where gel blasters do not require a license, but by law they must be kept in a locked container.
Airsoft guns, which are less like toys and shoot harder bullets with more force, are currently banned in Australia.