Kmart replaces toy after it 'nearly kills' Australian 10-year-old boy

Kmart has confirmed the retailer has replaced a toy with a new product after an Australian mother claimed it was still being sold two years after it caused her son a horrific injury.

Kmart has confirmed the retailer has replaced a toy with a new product after an Australian mother claimed it was still being sold two years after it caused her son a horrific injury.

Speaking to Kidspot, an Australian mother recalled the terrifying moment she had to send her son to hospital after he fell on a Kmart toy he got for Christmas, a USB Plasma Ball.

When his arm landed on the Kmart toy the glass from the product shattered into pieces — with the largest piece embedding in his arm.

Kerrie told Kidspot she was relaxing in the lounge when her eldest son, who was 10 years old at the time, screamed out to her from his bedroom.

Seconds later he came out of his room, with blood running down his arm.

As she tried to put pressure on the wound, that is when she discovered a piece of glass the size of a cigarette packet in his arm before pulling it out.

"It was at this time I realised that my son could be dying. I screamed out loud, 'somebody please help'," she said.

While Kerrie stayed with Nicholas, her daughter Jordan called for an ambulance and her youngest son Billy ran next door to get their neighbour who was a nurse.

The nurse rushed over and tended to his wound before ambulance arrived.

Kerrie said the paramedics were horrified of the severity and considered his injuries as a trauma.

Nicholas was then taken to Liverpool Hospital. All staff members could do was clean the wound to remove any extra glass fragments before sending him home.

However, a doctor visiting Liverpool Hospital recommended them to see a specialist hand clinic.

Unfortunately, the next day when they arrived at the clinic, they were told they couldn't work on his arm that day. Two days later, Nicholas received surgery to repair the wound caused by the glass.

Although Nicholas ended up making a full recovery, Kerrie remains traumatised by the experience and said she is shocked that they still sell the item two years on.

"I would like people to understand the dangers of having this product as a child's toy.

"The glass doesn't crumble like safety glass. It could easily have killed my son if it hit an artery."

However, a Kmart spokesperson told the Herald the item currently being sold in New Zealand and Australian retail stores is a new design made from new materials and that has passed rigorous testing.

The new product being sold at Kmart.

"The Science Squad Electrode Plasma Ball and Energy Bar is a newly ranged product that began being sold in January 2020 and is labelled as being suitable for ages 14 years and over.

"This product [Kerrie is referring to] is different to the previous product, the USB Plasma Ball that was sold in 2018.

"At Kmart the quality and safety of our products our highest priority and we welcome the opportunity to discuss this further with any customers. For New Zealand between 9am–7pm NZST Monday–Sunday on 0800 945 995."