An 11-year-old in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China, accidentally swallowed a 10-gram gold “bean” worth about 10,000 yuan (S$1,825) while “testing the strength of his tongue”.
Thankfully, the boy managed to pass the piece of gold while at the hospital.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing the Dawan News, the boy’s mother, Ms Ji, had purchased the gold bean on 17 Oct as an investment, amid surging gold prices that have risen more than 50% this year.
Just a few days later, on 22 Oct, while Ms Ji was doing laundry, her son began playing with the gold and suddenly ran to her, panicking.
He reportedly said, “Mum, hurry up, I am going to die. I swallowed the gold.”
Source: @桓台融媒 on Douyin
He was allegedly using the piece of gold to “test the strength of his tongue”.
At first, Ms Ji thought he was joking. But after finding the gold missing, she realised it was true, and her worry turned to humour.
Recalling a similar incident in the family, Ms Ji decided not to rush to the hospital, believing the gold would pass naturally.
Source: @桓台融媒 on Douyin
“My niece once swallowed a coin. When we took her to the hospital, the doctor said it was not a big deal and that she would pass it in her stool,” she explained.
“I looked it up and saw that gold can also be passed the same way, so I did not take it too seriously.”
Still, she made sure to check his faeces twice a day, reminding him not to use the toilet outside because his “poop was too expensive”.
After five days of monitoring without results, Ms Ji finally took her son to Kunshan Fifth People’s Hospital on 26 Oct, where doctors found a foreign object in his stomach.
Fortunately, he showed no symptoms of pain or vomiting.
Later that day, the gold bean was successfully retrieved, though it was unclear whether it was expelled naturally or removed by doctors.
Ms Ji shared the story online to warn parents: “Please make sure to store your gold properly and never let naughty children see it.”
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Featured image adapted from @桓台融媒 on Douyin.