East Belfast FC striker Danny Purkis has issued a Kinder chocolate warning to other parents after his young son was floored with suspected salmonella poisoning.
Danny and his wife Lauren bought the company's popular chocolate bars at the weekend as a treat for their son Theo after the football.
But just a day later three-year-old Theo began feeling unwell.
Read more: Five Irish people hospitalised after Kinder salmonella outbreak
The couple, both 26 and living in Bangor, said the youngster was unable to keep anything down, including water, before developing chronic diarrhoea.
Confectionary giant Ferrero has recalled a number of Kinder products over links to the ongoing salmonella outbreak, which is largely affecting children.
"Theo was at the football on Saturday as he goes to watch his dad every week. Afterwards we always take him to the shop and let him pick his treat, which is always the wee Kinder bars," Lauren told Belfast Live.
"He had probably four or five of them but come Sunday afternoon and night, he wouldn't eat at all and was complaining of a pain in his tummy
"We thought maybe he was just trying to get out of eating his lunch or dinner but he wouldn't even take an ice-cream so we knew that wasn't a good sign.
"By around 11.30 on Sunday night, he was getting sick and having diarrhoea on the hour every hour. He's fully toilet trained and everything but it has been that bad that he has had to wear a nappy for the past three days."
Danny added: "Theo didn't leave his bedroom at all. He's normally a hyper-active child at the best of times but he was physically not able to get out of bed. He had to be lifted in and out of the bath and couldn't walk."
The couple, who are also parents to one-year-old Lillie-Rose, say it got to the point that Theo was on the verge of having to be admitted to hospital.
"Any time he drank his juice or water, it just came back up again. He was just so lethargic and unresponsive and lying on the floor at times being sick.
"We had doctors on the phone the whole time and if he hadn't been able to keep liquids down today, he would have had to go to hospital and be put on an IV drip," Lauren added.
"The Kinder chocolate is the only thing that all this stems from because his sister didn't have any and she has been totally fine. If it was a bug, Lillie-Rose would have had it too because they are always in such close contact.
"The chocolate was part of the date batch that has been recalled so we have had to dump any other Kinder products we've still got in the house, including Easter eggs bought for this weekend.
"It was absolutely horrific and we really thought at one point he would have to be hospitalised. He has always taken any cold or anything else on the chin."
"We just want everyone to be aware of this especially with Easter coming up as we wouldn't wish this on any other parent," Danny added.
"Just to be safe, we won't be giving our two any Kinder products for a while after what Theo has been through and will be checking everything."
Thankfully the couple say Theo is slowly on the mend.
"He's still not eating and is on anti-sickness medication and living on Dioralyte. He is sleeping a lot but got of bed today for the first time.
"He also said he wanted to play football with me and has been asking for a pizza so we know he's improving but I've never seen him so sick in the three years that we've had him," Danny said.
A UK recall of Kinder chocolate products was extended on Friday to include all of those manufactured at a Belgian site since June, regardless of their best-before date.
The previous recall only covered products with best-before dates up to October 7 2022.
The recall was related to the same products – Kinder Surprise, Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Surprise 100g and Kinder Schokobons – announced earlier in the week.
Ferrero also said it was suspending operations at its plant in Arlon, which it said will only reopen “once certified by the authorities”.
The firm said it acknowledged “internal inefficiencies, creating delays in retrieving and sharing information in a timely manner” and said these had “impacted the speed and effectiveness of the investigations”.
The UK Health Security Agency said last week that 67 people in the UK are known to have been infected with salmonella in the outbreak linked to the treats.
The majority affected are under five years old, the agency added.
The UKHSA has said the symptoms of salmonellosis usually resolve themselves within a few days but that symptoms can be more severe, especially in young children and those with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever.
Anyone with concerns that they might have salmonellosis is urged to contact their GP.
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