Boy, 3, 'looked dead' after being hospitalised with 'salmonella from Kinder egg'

A three-year-old boy was kept on a drip for four days and almost fell into a coma after he was hospitalised with suspected salmonella poisoning from a Kinder egg. 

Billy Way, from Barry, Wales, became so ill after eating a Kinder Surprise chocolate last month that he ‘looked like he was dying’.

His mum Kasey Cooke said that a few days after eating the treat, he started being sick and couldn’t keep anything down him or hold his weight on his feet.

She told The Mirror: ‘I had to put a nappy on him as he couldn’t get up to use the toilet.

‘I went to the GP out of hours and he was so severely ill they said go straight to hospital.

‘They were worried he could have gone into a coma as his blood sugar was so low.’

Billy was admitted to Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Cardiff, Wales, and kept on a drip for four days.

Mum-of-two Kasey sent a picture of him to relatives, who remarked he looked ‘like he was dead’.

Kasey said: ‘He looked like he was dying, his mouth was dry, his face was pale and his eyes were black and sunken.

‘He was so poorly and lifeless. They struggled for a couple of days to keep his blood sugar levels high as they kept dropping. I was petrified.’

It comes after Kinder products made at a plant in Belgium were recalled over an outbreak of salmonella.

The chocolate factory was forced to close after investigators recorded more than 100 cases of salmonella, including 70 children in the UK.

Kasey did not initially suspect the Kinder egg as the cause of Billy’s illness when he fell sick on April 1.

However, when doctors did stool samples they found traces of the bacteria in his faeces.

The mum has now vowed to never let her children near a Kinder product again.

She has sent chocolate giant Ferrero – which owns Kinder – an email demanding compensation for her son, saying she would like to take him on a trip to Butlins.

Billy spent a week in hospital, during which time he could not eat.

Now when he wants chocolate he asks ‘if it will make his tummy poorly,’ said Kasey, who fears the ordeal will have a lasting impact.

In a statement, Ferrero apologised to Kasey and said all products affected by the Salmonella outbreak have been recalled.

It comes after another mum in the UK said her three-year-old girl was left looking ‘dead behind the eyes’ after allegedly contracting salmonella from a Kinder egg.

European health officials reportedly believe the processing of buttermilk at the factory in Belgium may have been a possible cause of contamination.

Health officials in the UK are urging families to throw away Kinder products ahead of the Easter weekend. Agencies, including the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), have warned Kinder Surprise, Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Surprise 100g and Kinder Schoko-Bons should not be eaten.

Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, said: ‘We’re reminding people of the recall this Bank Holiday weekend as it’s possible these products have been bought and stored as gifts, or for events such as Easter trails.

‘It’s crucial these products are not eaten and are discarded.

‘Salmonella infection can be severe and many children affected in this outbreak have been very unwell and hospitalised, so anyone giving chocolate products to friends or family should take extra care to ensure their Easter gifts are not amongst those products recalled.’

A Ferrero spokesperson said: ‘We are very sorry to hear about Kasey Cooke’s son and our sincere thoughts are with her family at this time.

‘With immediate effect, the entire production of Kinder Surprise 20g, Kinder Surprise 20g x 3 multipack, Kinder Mini eggs 75g, Kinder Egg Hunt Kit 150g, Kinder Surprise 100g and Kinder Schokobons (all pack sizes) which have all been made in Arlon, Belgium has been recalled.

‘After a thorough investigation, the point of origin was identified to be a filter at the outlet of two raw material tanks. Materials and finished products were blocked and not released.

‘The matter is currently being investigated together with food safety authorities. We deeply regret this matter and we continue to work closely with the food safety authorities to support their investigations.’ 

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