Keep Up With Global Black News

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest updates and events from the leading Afro-Diaspora publisher straight to your inbox.

BY Prosper Kuzo, 8:30pm February 04, 2025,

‘It breaks my heart’- Mother reacts to daughter’s brain damage battles after she swallowed playing toy

by Prosper Kuzo, 8:30pm February 04, 2025,
Kipley Haugen brain damage
Kipley Haugen - Photo credit: @thewaterbeadlady

A Texas mother named Ashley Haugen has opened up about a widely used children’s toy that left her daughter with brain damage.

Asley’s eight-year-old daughter Kipley Haugen, suffered brain damage after she swallowed water beads that got stuck in her intestines and eventually shut off blood supply to her brain.

According to reports, the little girl is now left with delays when she attempts to speak, as well as weakness in her muscles and trouble walking. 

Doctors say the ‘toxic’ materials used to make the beads have ultimately led to her cognitive battles as they may have attacked her nervous system and killed brain cells. 

READ ALSO: Man goes viral after plastic surgery left him looking half his age

After her daughter’s battles with brain damage, the Texas mother has set herself to run an advocacy group aimed at banning these toys.

‘It breaks my heart, what happened to Kipley. And for me, it’s been very healing to be able to know that that pain has a purpose,’ she told CBS.

The unexpected situation started when Kipley was about a year old and later intensified after she mysteriously began waking up several times throughout the night.

Some weeks after, the eight-year-old began vomiting so violently that she could barely hold down any food or water. 

She was then taken to the hospital and surgery revealed that Kipley had unknowingly swallowed water beads.

These beads are small absorbent balls that expand in water, and were a part of the gifts her older sister had received as a birthday gift.

READ ALSO: ‘Naked’ stunt of Bianca Censori’ at 2025 Grammys reportedly costs Kanye West Tokyo deal worth $20million

Mrs Haugen and her husband were shocked as they believe Kipley’s older sister, Abigail, was often supervised while she played with the beads. 

The beads were also kept away from Kipley, making it difficult for the couple to comprehend how it all unfolded.

Kipley’s surgery turned out successful and doctors managed to remove all of the water bead fragments from her intestine. 

However, she began to lose her balance some four months after and could not respond to her name nor eat her favorite foods.   

Her mother revealed how the situation has affected the family and her daughter to be precise, stating that she’s heartbroken. 

‘My heart sank. We were losing her.’ 

After developmental screening, Kipley was diagnosed with toxic brain encephalopathy, which may have cut off blood flow and oxygen to her brain.

She is now eight years old, but is struggling with language and motor delays, as well as muscle weakness, though the Texas mother said she ‘has made a lot of progress.’ 

Mrs Haugen has now made it her cause to use her nonprofit to raise awareness of the dangers of water beads and prevent injuries in other children.

READ ALSO: Woman goes viral after dropping from a size 30 to 12; thanks to 1980s diet

‘We grieve for the baby [Kipley] used to be, it is agonizing to think of the pain she endured, and the challenges she continues to face each day,’ she wrote on her website.

‘Our story is a warning I hope you hear. Water beads should not be used for play.’

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the toys left about 7,800 children in the US hospital between 2016 and 2022. 

Mrs Haugen and Kipley have urged lawmakers to ban water bead sales to prevent further injuries.

‘Please work together to ban water beads. Lots of kids like me got hurt’, she told CBS News.

Last Edited by:Kofi Oppong Kyekyeku Updated: February 4, 2025

Conversations

Must Read

Connect with us

Join our Mailing List to Receive Updates

Face2face Africa | Afrobeatz+ | BlackStars

Keep Up With Global Black News and Events

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest updates and events from the leading Afro-Diaspora publisher straight to your inbox, plus our curated weekly brief with top stories across our platforms.

No, Thank You