On 19/1, The Paper reported that Xuanxuan has regained consciousness. Doctors in Zhengzhou decided to remove his gastric tube to monitor his tolerance for liquid food, but the kidney hemorrhage persists.

The accident occurred on 16/1 when Xuanxuan showed flu symptoms. Seeing a clear liquid in a plastic bottle at home, his grandfather used it to mix with warm water for the boy's medicine. Immediately after swallowing, Xuanxuan complained about a strange taste. His grandfather tasted it, realized something was wrong, and tried to induce vomiting, but failed. After a phone call with his son, he was shocked to learn the "water" was actually mineral oil, a fuel for hotpot stoves that the father had brought home from a friend's restaurant.

Xuanxuan is now conscious, but his kidneys are still bleeding. *Photo: Douyin*

This colorless mineral oil looks identical to drinking water but is highly toxic, causing severe chemical damage to internal organs when ingested. Xuanxuan's father stated that his son began vomiting at 9 p.m. that day and fell into a coma two hours later. After first aid at a local facility, the child was transferred to a hospital in Zhengzhou, unconscious and unresponsive. Diagnosis revealed severe liver and kidney damage, requiring dialysis and intensive medical intervention.

The incident devastated the grandfather, causing him to lose sleep due to guilt. To date, the treatment costs for the boy have reached nearly 60,000 Chinese yuan (over 226 million VND). The family has appealed for community support, raising about 40,000 Chinese yuan through online platforms.

Doctors note that chemical poisoning in children is not uncommon, often stemming from adults storing fuels or cleaning agents in repurposed beverage bottles. Previously, one child in Shenzhen, Guangdong, also faced a critical condition, requiring intubation after mistakenly drinking n-hexane stored in a water bottle. Experts advise families never to reuse food packaging for chemicals and to keep all hazardous liquids out of children's reach.

Binh Minh (According to SETN)