Toddler loses thumb in horrific escalator accident at Sydney shopping centre
A Sydney mum has detailed the horrific moment her young son lost his thumb on a "faulty" escalator at a popular shopping centre.
Anora Fairchild said her boy, Lewis, was left "crying and bloody" after a protruding piece of metal underneath the escalator's handrail at Sydney’s Broadway Shopping Centre in Glebe sliced off his thumb on Saturday.
Ms Fairchild, who is "saddened and furious", said the sharp metal sliced through "bones, arteries, and nerves and yanked out 12cms of his tendons."
"It yanked out his tendons, went through the bone – it was hacked, it was not a clean job," she told Seven News.
Lewis was rushed to Sydney Children’s Hospital where doctors spent hours operating. However, despite their efforts, they couldn't save his thumb.
"There was too much damage," the devastated mum wrote on Facebook.
"My family has suffered an unspeakable amount of heartache. Lewis will likely live the rest of his life without using his right thumb."
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Unable to believe what has happened to her son, Ms Fairchild is now warning other parents. She's also called for shopping centres to inspect their escalators closely.
"We urge other shopping centres to inspect their escalator safety belts to ensure that no such faulty pieces are hanging out like at Broadway Shopping Centre," she said.
"We could not have ever imagined a quick trip to our local shopping centre would be our worst nightmare that we can't wake up from."
The mum's Facebook post hit home for many worried parents, who expressed their sympathy for Lewis.
"OMG how horrible! So sorry to hear about this and much love to you guys," one person said.
"This is so horrible it even happened. Poor Lewis, things like this shouldn’t happen to anyone let alone young kids," wrote another.
Lewis is reportedly recovering at home but will need intensive physiotherapy. He may also need another surgery.
A Broadway Sydney spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia they are "working with authorities" following the incident.
"Our thoughts are with the child and his family, and the health and safety of all of our customers and staff remain our highest priority," the spokesperson said.
"We are undertaking an extensive investigation into the incident."
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