While hand dryers in public bathrooms are mostly harmless, a father in Singapore shows just how dangerous they might actually be to our kids. What was meant to be a simple family outing ended with his daughter losing one of her fingers in a hand dryer.
On Friday (10 December), Nick Matthew Chia uploaded a Facebook post on the horrifying incident.
5-Year-Old Girl Loses Finger In Hand Dryer
Image source: Facebook / Nick Matthew Chia
On December 6 at around 9pm, Mr Chia was having dinner at Ion Orchard with his family. At some point, his daughter Kara wanted to go to the toilet and so he and their helper accompanied her.
Then when the 5-year-old went out to dry her hands, she suddenly had her finger “crushed and amputated” by a hand dryer.
According to the father, the vent of the hand dryer where fan blades are located allegedly did not have a cover. Writing how his daughter probably thought it was a “tissue dispenser”, Kara reached in only to have her index finger “mangled” by the fan blades.
“The damage was extensive enough that the bones on her finger were reduced to nothing but little stones and dusty white powder,” Mr Chia writes in his post.
He adds, “I was picking up little pieces of her bones and holding them in my hand hoping to bring them to the hospital in some sliver of hope that it may be salvageable. Again, an experience I wish no father on earth will ever go through. “
Unexpected Danger Of Hand Dryers In Public Bathrooms
Image source: Facebook / Nick Matthew Chia
Mr Chia shared photos of his daughter’s now injured hand and the hand dryer that allegedly harmed her. He also shared a photo of other hand dryers at ION Orchard that are concealed with a covered vent.
It was noted how the hand dryers are housed in metal casings which may have made it difficult to spot an exposed vent.
In the image he shared of the hand dryer that allegedly harmed his daughter, it can be seen how its vent is exposed, unlike the other automatic hand dryers.
Image source: Facebook / Nick Matthew Chia
The five-year-old has reportedly been discharged but Mr Chia claims the incident still caused “psychological damage” on her. He even shares how Kara is now afraid of going to the toilet.
“She would now stare in fear at any hand dryer or any paper dispenser in the toilet and would much rather wipe her hand on her own clothes than go near any of those items that were created to make our lives better,” writes the father.
He also tells Mothership that ION Orchard has reached out to him to render assistance. Although as of now, nothing has been discussed yet.
“My wish is to one day be able to complete Kara and make her whole again with a functional prosthetic finger. I have faith that one day medical technology can advance to a stage where I can make this dream a reality,” Mr Chia writes.
He adds, “But till then, my tender 5 year old baby girl has to walk down the road of life with the stares and questions that others will have for her, and constantly having to mentally relive that awful event.”
Lead image source from Facebook / Nick Matthew Chia.
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