INSIDE EDITION - An 11-year-old’s dream toy became a medical nightmare when he was sent to the hospital after a fidget spinner got stuck on his finger.
Sam Rhodes, 11, of Arizona was treated by two different hospitals earlier this month to have the toy sawed off when it slipped down his index finger and caused painful swelling.
"I'm done with these,” Sam said, “I'm probably not going to play with them for a long time."
Sam explained he had purchased the toy on Amazon with his allowance money.
He was playing with his fidget spinner at his grandmother’s house when the center ring slipped and his finger went through the device. The toy then embedded itself at the bottom of his finger.
His family was able to take the toy apart except for a ring in the middle. They then used soapy water and other tricks to no avail.
The following day, the family rushed Sam to the hospital after his finger swelled up.
The first hospital was unable to remove it with a ring cutter since the material was too hard, and the second called in a maintenance man to saw the ring off.
“I thought they were accidentally going to cut my finger,” Sam said. “I was yelling, 'Please stop!' because the pain was so intense."
Although they were successfully able to remove the device, his mom, Cassie Rhodes, is now calling for other parents to throw the toys away after the experience caused trauma to the family and left them with thousands of dollars in medical bills, despite having insurance.
"It's not worth the danger," she said. "It's not worth the traumatic event."