A young girl has tragically lost an eye after a vape exploded in her face, causing severe damage from battery acid.
Seven-year-old Ruby Grainger was walking home after buying an ice cream from a van in Tallaght, Dublin, when the incident occurred. She was passing by a bonfire lit by local youths when a vape battery in the flames exploded, sending shards of the device into her face.
Ruby’s mother, Ciara, 32, told the Irish Mirror: “She was walking back from the van when there was a loud bang. Something exploded in her face, and I just heard her screaming hysterically. When she got home, I could hardly believe what I was seeing—blood was streaming down her face. I held her close and called for an ambulance in a panic.”
Ruby was immediately taken to the hospital and later transferred to the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital. Doctors informed the family that Ruby’s eye had to be removed in an emergency procedure on October 5.
Ciara shared, “Doctors said this is the first time they’ve seen this level of damage from a fire. While they’ve seen vape explosions, losing the entire eye and socket is unprecedented.”
“I still can’t grasp that she has lost an eye. In an instant, her life changed, and mine as well. If I could, I would give her my eye. She’s only seven, and this shouldn’t have happened to her. I can’t believe it,” she added.
Doctors believe the damage was caused by battery acid, as Ruby’s eye was severely damaged, with her eyeball described as resembling “mashed potato.” Ruby didn’t feel anything hit her eye, and experts confirmed that the extent of the damage could not have been caused by a physical object alone.
After the explosion, a family member found remnants of several burnt-out vapes near the bonfire.
A fundraiser has been set up to help Ruby get a prosthetic eye, and doctors are hopeful that her eye socket will heal sufficiently within six weeks for her to undergo surgery. However, Ruby will need to transfer to a specialized school for visually impaired children, as her condition requires her to adapt to life with limited vision.
Ciara explained, “Ruby will never be able to play like she used to. She also has to learn how to balance again because she now has a blind side. The biggest change is that she can no longer see out of her right eye.”
