A four-year-old girl nicknamed Le Le was admitted into the hospital after a rather worrying bulge was found on her arm which turned out to be a rubber band she’d worn for far too long.
Her parents were worried stating that they had no idea that a simple rubber band could go that far in. The rubber band became embedded in the skin with her flesh beginning to grow around the rubber.
Le Le had initially been to the hospital with her grandparents but at the time the doctors had no idea what was wrong and dismissed it as an infection or an allergy.
Le Le comes from Linquan county in China’s Eastern Anhui Province.
When the growth became bigger, Le Le’s mum and dad finally had enough and decided to take her to the Children’s Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, capital of neighbouring Zhejiang Province.
It was here that a doctor realised what was wrong and informed the parents that the growth was likely caused by a rubber band.
The doctor’s theory was proven to be correct and they were able to perform surgery to take it out.
The doctor, Ye Wensong, claimed that he had seen something similar and it was likely that Le Le’s grandparents missed the fact that she had a rubber band round her arm for so long.
Speaking on the circumstances, he said; ‘Some elders also like to tie thin red strings around children’s necks, wrists or fingers for good luck, but the practice comes with risks.
‘Thin strings and elastic bands can easily be concealed in the flaps of the child’s skin.
‘Some young kids are still too young to talk, and the band goes unnoticed by their guardians.’
