Nationwide — Camila Romero, a 4-year-old African American girl from Southern California, is in critical condition after swallowing a button battery. Doctors removed it, but the tiny device caused severe damage to her esophagus, leaving her recovery uncertain.
Camila’s parents, Cassandra Tafolla and Hugo Romero, initially thought their daughter was sick with a virus. She first went to the hospital with a persistent fever that lasted a week. It was Cassandra’s insistence on checking for pneumonia that led doctors to do an X-ray, which revealed the battery lodged inside her.
Her parents are unsure how or when Camila swallowed the small, shiny battery. Button batteries are often found in toys, watches, calculators, and key fobs. Though tiny, they are extremely dangerous. In children, they can burn through the esophagus in as little as two hours, causing life-threatening injuries.
According to WFLA, doctors at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital removed the battery, but Camila remains in a medically induced coma. The injury is severe, and she may need another major surgery to repair the hole near her heart. The operation is risky, but it could be the only way for her to wake and have her breathing tube removed.
The family is sharing their story to warn other parents. “I just hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else,” her father said. They also set up a GoFundMe to help cover medical bills while awaiting approval for the next surgery. It has so far raised nearly $24,000.
Camila’s parents urge caregivers to keep small batteries out of children’s reach. “The toys that have the smallest batteries — like a little keychain, I know they carry the small ones,” her father said. “I would say just be very careful.”