While playgrounds might be a place full of fun and laughter for children, that was unfortunately not the case for a young boy who recently got injured at a playground in Sengkang.
Just last Tuesday (21 March), a six-and-a-half-year-old boy accidentally tripped and fell while playing at a playground near 123B Rivervale Drive.
As a result, his left elbow was severe fractured.
According to the doctor who treated him, the boy might suffer permanent damage to his elbow as well.
After the incident, the young boy’s mother spoke to Goody Feed.
When speaking of her experience, she emphasised that she chose to share her story to raise awareness for such incidents, especially for parents with young children.
Here’s what she has to say.
Boy Tripped Over Hole From Removed Spring Rocker
When speaking to us, the boy’s mother recounted that her son accidentally tripped and fell at the playground.
The mother, who wished to be identified as Ms Yang, told us that her son had tripped and fell at around 7 pm to 7.15 pm that night “due to a big hole from a spring rocker that had been removed”.
The hole had not been covered, filled or sealed.
“The hole was estimated to be about 10-12cm [in] width, 3-5cm [in] depth, and [could] be seen with two screws,” she mentioned.
Domestic Helper Was With Her Son
She added that her domestic helper had brought her son downstairs together with the dog and that her helper was busy picking up after her dog when the incident happened.
At that point in time, her son was playing with three other kids. Around three to four other parents were also seated on the benches at the playground.
Ms Yang also said that the playground was “rather dark” as both street lamps at the playground were not on.
After hearing her son’s loud cries, her helper went to check on her son.
Another parent advised her helper to bring the young boy to the doctor quickly.
Since her helper did not bring her phone out, she brought Ms Yang’s son home with the dog to inform Ms Yang that her son had injured his elbow.
Took Private Hire Car to Sengkang General Hospital, But Had to Transfer to KKH
After finding out about the incident, Ms Yang noticed that her son’s arm was “curved and out of position”.
“I assumed that his arm was dislocated and immediately booked a private hire car to the nearest hospital at Sengkang General Hospital (SKH),” she explained.
While at SKH, her son underwent an X-ray.
According to the doctor, her son had sustained a serious fracture in his elbow as it “went backwards and upwards”.
She also shared an image of her son’s X-ray, which showed a misalignment of the bones in his elbow.
However, the doctor added that her son would have to be transferred to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) for an operation via ambulance as SKH did not have a paediatric bone specialist for her son.
After her son was admitted to KKH, the bone specialist at that hospital told Ms Yang that her son’s fracture was “very serious”.
The doctor also said that surgery might cause nerve damage to the boy’s elbow and affect his elbow’s movements in the future.
In the end, the specialist was able to carry out a less invasive operation by pushing the boy’s bones back with three metal nails.
According to Ms Yang, the doctor chose to do so “to lower the risk of hurting his nerves as compared to an open arm surgery”.
However, Ms Yang added that the pushing back of her son’s bones also meant that they “won’t be aligned”.
Hence, his arm will still be “either slanted or crooked” even after he recovers from the fracture.