Rotherham boy died after inhaling drawing pin - inquest

Kyle Lewis died in 2022 after inhaling a drawing pin

The parents of a boy who died after he inhaled a drawing pin said he had been "the light of their lives".

Kyle Lewis, five, died in October 2022 after inhaling the pin at his uncle's home in Thrybergh, Rotherham.

Kyle was taken to Rotherham General Hospital but the surgery team could not remove the pin.

An inquest at Doncaster Coroner's Court heard he died at Leeds General Infirmary two days later because the pin stopped oxygen reaching his brain.

Kyle's parents were listening in court as the inquest into his death began.

The coroner heard that Kyle was staying at his uncle's flat in Thrybergh when he is thought to have inhaled the pin - later found to be almost 1in (2.5cm) long.

An ambulance took him to the emergency department at Rotherham, and the court heard when his father arrived Kyle was responsive and alert, enough to talk and put up a struggle with an oxygen mask.

Kyle with his mum Ema Lewis

But medics said it was a serious situation with the young boy pale, distressed and showing symptoms of his airway being obstructed.

A decision was made to take Kyle to surgery but while surgeons tried to remove the pin manually, it was pointing upwards and they could not grip it with forceps.

His airway became obstructed and he went into cardiac arrest.

His parents had to make the decision to turn off his life support system after he was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary, as Kyle had suffered a severe loss of oxygen to his brain.

He died on 28 October.

Pathologist Prof Marta Cohen told the inquest the pin was still present when the post-mortem examination was carried out.

In a tribute to their son, his parents Mark and Ema Lewis described him as "cheeky and fun-loving" and "an adorable boy who was the light of our lives".

The couple, from Rotherham, said: "Losing Kyle has broken us beyond words.

"We will love him and miss him forever."

The inquest, which is listed for four days, continues.