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A young mother who was hospitalized after being hit in the eye by a toy bullet from a Nerf gun has warned other families to be careful when using the popular Christmas gift.
The Australian woman, who passes manon_el on TikTok, shared the warning video on the social media platform this week explaining that her retina is about to detach after the shock accident, which could leave her with permanent damage.
Optometrists recommend wearing protective glasses when playing with toys, never pointing them at the head, and only using authentic brand projectiles.
“Just a PSA, if you get a Nerf gun this year, don’t shoot anyone in the face,” the woman pleaded on TikTok.
‘Yesterday my sister shot me in the eye and blinded me instantly. Obviously it was an accident but she hit me in the left eye and it hurt a lot.’
An Australian mother (pictured) warned others on TikTok to be careful with Nerf guns after they hit her in the eye over Christmas, leaving her with significant damage.
The popular Nerf brand, owned by Hasbro and valued at more than $460 million, sells toys that can shoot foam darts or small gel balls, depending on the model.
Nerf guns, manufactured by the American toy conglomerate Hasbro, are plastic guns similar to water guns but that fire different pellets depending on the model.
These projectiles include foam darts, of which there are about 24 different types, and gel “blasters,” which are small balls made of polymer that absorb water.
‘When I opened my eye after being hit, everything was black. Then I went to the hospital and everything was white,” the woman explained.
‘I couldn’t see anything, I was completely blind. They did some tests and in the end I regained my vision, but it was all blurry and cloudy.’
The woman was later released from the hospital and returned home.
“I have a lot of damage to my eye and I’m still not off the hook. I’m on strict bed rest because the retina will most likely detach if I move too much.”
“So I don’t need to do that because I don’t want to be permanently blind.”
She added that she is now taking steroid drops to prevent her pupil from becoming “cat’s eye” and that doctors will evaluate her to determine if surgery is necessary.
According to the Mayo Clinic, this type of surgery involves repairing any retinal tears using laser or freezing treatment and then using a temporary gas bubble to apply pressure inside the eye that pushes the retina back into place.
If performed within a few days of injury, vision can be completely restored.
The woman shared an update on Tuesday saying she had regained her vision and had returned to the hospital where doctors said the injury was healing well.
But he added that doctors said his pupil could become permanently oval-shaped.
The woman explained how she went to the hospital after the toy projectile hit her in the eye and showed how one pupil is significantly larger than the other.
Commenters on his video said it was a good warning and that they would show it to their children.
“My kids got Nerfs this year… I’m going to show them this because they just don’t want to listen and I’m thinking about getting them back,” one mom said.
“My horse kicked me in the face and my eye did the same, blindness, double vision and my pupil ended up going back to normal after a month,” said another.
“You are handling the situation incredibly well, I am so sorry for what happened, I hope you heal quickly and that the damage is not permanent,” added a third.
This is not the first time that an injury has occurred from Nerf guns, with gel blasters being especially worrying.
Between December 2018 and May 2019, eight Queensland children presented to hospitals with eye injuries caused by toys.
Airsoft guns (pictured), which fire pellets harder than gel ones, are banned in Australia
Many Australian states have recently ruled that the gel blaster version of Nerf guns must be registered as a firearm and its holders must obtain a valid firearms licence.
Paintball guns commonly used in Australia are subject to similar rules.
Queensland is the only state where a license is not required for gel casters, but they must be stored in a locked container.
Airsoft guns, which look less like toys and fire harder pellets with more force than gel blasters or paintball markers, are banned in Australia.