‘He was the light of our lives’: Five-year-old boy dies after swallowing tops

A five-year-old child died after swallowing a spinning top at his uncle’s home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. The young man was rushed to hospital, where doctors attempted to perform a tracheotomy – to allow passage of air into the lungs – but the object could not be removed and Kyle Lewis died two days later, on October 28, 2022.

Now, an investigation into the child’s death has revealed that the spinning top blocked Kyle’s airway, leading to his death due to lack of oxygen. According to SunPathologist Martha Cohen told the hearing at Doncaster Crown Court that the one-centimeter pin was still in the body at the time of the autopsy.

During the hearing, the parents spoke about Kayla. They described him as “cheeky, funny” and a “lovely guy”. “He was the light of our lives,” they said.

Kyle was one of six brothers. When his father, Mark, arrived at the hospital, Kyle began to respond and was alert enough to speak. Doctors tried to resuscitate him four times and he was eventually put on life support.

The parents ultimately decided to switch off life support after the boy was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary after suffering severe loss of oxygen to the brain.