Health

By Pesach Benson • December 22, 2025

Jerusalem, 22 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — A Chanukah celebration nearly turned tragic for a seven-year-old girl, but thanks to quick thinking by her teachers and rapid medical intervention, what could have been a life-threatening incident ended safely — a real Chanukah miracle at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital.

The incident occurred during a second-grade school party, where lollipops were handed out as part of the holiday festivities. At one point, the girl felt pain while swallowing and realized she had accidentally ingested not only the candy but also the stick. Acting quickly, she went to her teacher and the school principal to explain what had happened. Because the parents were not present, the staff immediately called them and stressed the need for urgent medical evaluation.

“When they called us from the school, we realized that we had to act quickly,” the girl’s father said. “It was obviously an alarming, unusual call. We arrived immediately and took her to the pediatrician. She had already started complaining of pain, and there was no doubt that something was wrong.”

The pediatrician recommended immediate transfer to a hospital specialist, noting that the stick — a hard object that can be sharp — posed a risk of internal damage if left in the digestive system.

“The doctor was very clear,” the father recalled. “He told us: This could get worse, don’t wait. Go to the hospital now.”

At Hadassah Ein Kerem, the pediatric emergency team began assessing the situation. “The concern was that the stick had been inserted too deeply, and since it was made of plastic and not metal, its location could not be tracked using a radiograph,” explained Dr. Tamar Orgad, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Hadassah. “One of the significant problems is that when the stick passes into the small intestine, it cannot be removed with a simple endoscopy, and it may advance and become stuck in the transition between the small intestine and the large intestine.” Such a blockage could require major surgery.

The girl was taken to the operating room, where Orgad and her operating room team successfully removed the stick from her stomach. The candy had dissolved, and the procedure ended without complications.

Describing the experience afterward, the girl said, “My face hurt and I didn’t know what to do. I was a little scared, but I was glad I told the teacher. In the hospital, I was scared before the surgery, but the doctors were nice and told me everything would be fine, which was very reassuring.”

Her father expressed relief. “The doctors were amazing, they calmed us, the girl, made sure we had a safe and quiet experience despite the stress. We are very happy that the story ended peacefully, and there were no complications even though some time passed from the moment of swallowing to the surgery. Here we have a Chanukah miracle at Hadassah.”

Dr. Orgad stressed a broader lesson for parents and caregivers. “During the removal of the stick, we realized in the ward that candy on a stick poses a risk to children. The stick is short and problematic for children to hold, and it is very easy to swallow it without noticing when you are a child.”