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  • Hollie Phillips
    • Feb 20, 2023
    • 5 min read

Button Battery Awareness




My name is Hollie I’m a Level 3 practitioner at Woodlands Pre-school and I’m also a mum to Ralphie who has also attends Woodlands Pre-school. Because of my son and his story I hope you all become button battery aware like me but never have to experience what I did to become button battery aware in the first place Instead I’d like to take 10 minutes of your time to read why this maybe the most important read of your life and your children’s You may or may not heard of my son Ralphie’s story or the harper lee foundation, but I hope you have because it means we are saving lives like I promised myself one year ago as I handed over my son to a major trauma team of surgeons to save his life as he laid in my arms dying on his first birthday. As I sat waiting for him to survive and the 3 weeks we spent in hospital feeding him through a tube and watching machines keep him alive for the second time in his life I knew this could never happen again, I could not allowed anymore families to experience this when so many people don’t know that one little thing every household has in so many things could potentially kill or seriously injure their children or pets.


In the last 12 months I have dedicated myself to ensure no one goes through what we have been through, to ensure no more children die or end up in critical condition because of something we all have within our households I have gone to parliament to create the button battery aware movement, we have got the NHS to change pathways in treating suspected button battery accidents, we are working with multiple charities and manufacturers and Mp’s. We have been on Itv, sky, BBC, made worldwide headlines and had millions of views on social media but until every household in the U.K. knows the dangers our work is not done! I want the dangers of button battery to be as known on the same level as bleach, curtain blinds, burns, broken bones to parents and guardians to help make sure no one ever experiences what we did.

Ralphie's story and what happened to us is important to share and I will always be happy to chat to anyone who would like to know more about his story so please don’t hesitate to ask.

Here is some information about where they could be in your house, the signs and symptoms of one being digested and what you can do to be button battery aware is very important to me in helping keeping your children and household safe Where would I find button batteries in my house and what are they? Button batteries are a round flat cell battery. They come in different sizes from the same size as your child’s nail to a 50p coin You may not even be aware you have them in the house, I was adamant I didn’t so here is where you may find them within your house This is just to name a few! - [ ] Car keys - [ ] Weighing scales - [ ] Tv controls (apple tv) - [ ] Led controls for lights - [ ] Watches - [ ] Musical books or birthday cards - [ ] Toothbrushes - [ ] Toys - [ ] Led candles - [ ] Festive accessories ( Xmas, Halloween light up wands/ Lights) - [ ] Bath toys - [ ] Fidget spinners - [ ] Light shoes/ clothes - [ ] Pet toys ( they are also extremely dangerous to animals) - [ ] Hearing aids - [ ] Calculators - [ ] Torches How can I prevent my child getting them? Whilst we do appreciate sometimes these batteries are in essential products for some, our mission is to have them banned in non essentials such as children toys, books, toothbrushes etc!

We need to minimise the risk to life that they pose for children, if you need them within your house think ‘are they tightly screwed in?’ ‘Will that loosen over them?’, ‘Is it out of reach of children and pets?’. We hate to say this to parents but is a toy worth a child’s life? Children still have fun with toys even if they don’t work so if it’s one of their favourite toys consider removing the battery as over time the backing is made cheaply and poorly, causing the battery to become loose and accessible to children.

Do a weekly check of where they are in your house if absolutely need them, drop test them, cover it in tape, keep them locked away in a box, if you have elder children encourage them to be button battery aware also. What are the signs and symptoms to look for?

This is important to mention not every child will show symptoms until it’s too late and the damage is irreversible. We were fortunate enough that Ralphie did show symptoms almost straight away, but we really believe on trusting your gut instinct and becoming button battery aware.

Here’s some of the symptoms to look for and be aware of. If your child shows and of these symptoms please do not waste any time in getting help! Time is critical after a button battery is swallowed. Death can happen within as little as 2 hours please phone 999 or go straight to your nearest A&E. - [ ] Black/ brown/ blood coloured sick with a strong smell of acid or chemicals - [ ] Refusal to eat or drink - [ ] Excess dribbling - [ ] Arching the back, clutching at chest, throat or stomach - [ ] Piercing scream or unusual cry that is out of character - [ ] Change to colour of skin, usually grey or blue - [ ] Unable to stay awake or not lucid - [ ] Your gut instinct feels like something isn’t right

You may have seen advice to give your child honey if they swallow a button battery, to get it to slide down or slow down the process, but please please do not listen to this advice! This is not scientifically proven and is only given as advice in countries such as America as the journeys to medical Help can be two hours away. We encourage in the U.K. to seek urgent medical help and do not waste any time! How can I be button battery aware?

Talk to friends and family about it, social media is a powerful platform if you see or read articles about it share and tag people! Your word of mouth is just as powerful for those who don’t have social media or read the news You can sign the button battery pledge and petition on the Harper Lee foundation page which was created by her mum Stacey who tragically died in may 2021 aged 3 after swallowing a button battery from a TV control. There’s also plenty on the CAPT website Share our stories, learn the signs and symptoms, save a life!!!

Please do not hesitate to contact me at the Preschool if you have any questions or need advice, I will be happy to answer.

Please see links below for further information



Button Batteries - Child Accident Prevention Trust (capt.org.uk) If you would like to donate to The Harper-Lee Foundation please do so by following this link: https://gofund.me/a0a00199

Thank you for your time in reading my story and becoming button battery aware.


Hollie x


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