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Birmingham Toddler Survives Drain Cleaner Ingestion as Family Seeks Surgery Abroad

Doctors remain split on reconstruction, prompting the family to seek specialist care overseas.

Overview

  • Thirteen-month-old Sam Anwar drank caustic soda from a white bottle in May at the family's Highgate flat while his mother was cleaning.
  • He suffered catastrophic burns to his mouth and airways, lost half his tongue, and was resuscitated after his heart stopped for nearly three minutes.
  • A team of 27 clinicians treated him during a two-month stay in intensive care at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
  • Now about 18 months old, he is home, unable to eat, drink or speak, and is fed via a permanent gastrostomy tube as he awaits reconstructive surgery with no confirmed date.
  • The family says clinicians disagree on timing and approach, and they have launched a £9,000 GoFundMe while exploring specialist options in Germany and Turkey.