Mum of ‘cheeky’ girl, 2, who died ‘after drinking toilet freshener’ begs other parents to ‘pause’ before buying products
THE mum of a little girl who died after reportedly swallowing a toilet freshener capsule has begged other parents to "pause" before buying cleaning products.
Arietta-Grace Barnett, who was just two, is believed to be the first person in the world to die after ingesting a Toilet Duck product.
Now mum Lucy, of Fareham in Hampshire, has warned other mums and dads to be careful - and says the loss of her "cheeky" daughter has been "catastrophic".
It comes after an inquest ruled Arietta-Grace's death in July 2019 was accidental.
A coroner has vowed to carry out a further probe after a surgeon told the hearing that the detergent - which Lucy suspects was product Fresh Discs - may have caused fatal injuries.
No one saw the little girl swallow the product, but there was one disc missing from its dispenser.
Lucy said: "While we welcome the further investigations the coroner is doing into the Toilet Duck product, we would urge parents to think very carefully before buying these and products similar to them.
"While we understand the link between them and Arietta-Grace's death is yet to be definitively proven, we feel the evidence currently available is enough to give parents pause before buying these types of products.
"If your child does manage to get hold of a product such as this, make the hospital staff aware of Arietta-Grace so they are less likely to confuse any symptoms your child may present with as an infection."
The little one was first taken to hospital after she was found vomiting by her sister on June 28 2019. She was then discharged on July 2, Portsmouth Coroners' Court heard.
But a week later, the toddler was rushed back onto a ward when she suffered a nose-bleed and began vomiting blood.
Despite the efforts of medics, she couldn't be saved.
It was said at the inquest that, if the chemical had caused significant injuries to Arietta-Grace, it was the "first time it has happened in the world".
Most read in News
But the link was not proven and the coroner called for further investigation.
A spokeswoman for SC Johnson, which makes the toilet cleaning product, said following the inquest: "This is heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with the family.
"As it remains unclear exactly what caused this tragedy, we are unable to provide further comment at this time."
