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January 22nd, 2016:

Mother-of-two is left needing plastic surgery after e-cigarette explodes in her face

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3412012/Mother-two-left-needing-plastic-surgery-e-cigarette-battery-explodes-face.html

  • Kirby Sheen, 24, was testing the battery of her e-cigarette when it exploded
  • Her eyelid was split in two and she needed a two hour operation to fix it
  • Wants to warn others about potential dangers of cigarette alternative

A mother-of-two was lucky not to lose an eye after an e-cigarette exploded in her face.

Kirby Sheen’s eyelid was split in two by the mouth piece of the device which blew up as she put a battery in the device on Wednesday afternoon.

The 24-year-old, from Salford, was testing the battery in her partner’s device after her machine stopped working.

She wanted to check if it was the battery or device that was faulty but now says she could be scarred for life after it exploded.

‘All I can remember is a puff of smoke and a bang, I knew something had hit me because I had blood pouring from my face,’ she said.

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‘I looked down and my hands were black and there was a deep hole in my thumb from where I’d pressed the button.’

She was taken to Salford Royal for treatment but was later transferred to the Manchester Royal Infirmary because of the severity of the injuries to her eye.

The next morning she underwent a two-hour operation on her eye to repair the damage caused.

‘I didn’t want to look at it but I had to take my dressing off when I got home. In my eyes it was a mess.

‘I’m a girl and I like to wear make-up and that’s not going to be happening for a long time.

‘We’re supposed to be getting married as well next year so I really hope it has healed by then.’

Miss Sheen said the accident happened in front of her two daughters, Aymaris, two, and Ayviarna, five months.

She had put the battery in a device belonging to her partner Adam Burgess, 27, to test as her e-cigarette had stopped working.

The battery fit fine but exploded shortly afterwards, causing her injuries.

The couple say they have now stopped using e-cigarettes claiming ‘they’re too dangerous’ and won’t let them in the house again.

‘I was at home with my children when it happened and had to try and stay calm as not to scare them – but it was scary,’ she said.

‘Neither of us will ever touch anything like that again, they’re more dangerous than smoking, it could’ve taken my life or eyesight.

‘I want to raise awareness of how dangerous they can be, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.’

The couple are now trying to contact the manufacturer to find out why it exploded.

‘I want to know the reason behind what happened,’ said Mr Burgess.

‘If it’s a fault with the battery people need to be made aware, Kirby was just millimeters from losing her sight, next time someone might not be so lucky.’