13-Year-Old Girl Permanently Scarred After Suffering Second Degree Burns From Cellphone

A young teenage girl now has a permanent reminder on her skin attesting to the dangers of handling a mobile phone.

Thirteen-year-old Gabbie Fedro, from Highland Park in Chicago, allegedly suffered from second degree burns on her neck after the cellphone she was using suddenly burst into electric flame, scarring her for life.

The girl’s mother said Gabbie, an active teenager who enjoys sports, is now traumatized by her experience and will carry this mark around her neck always…

Jackie Fedro says she and her husband gifted Gabbie with a T-Mobile LG d500 mobile phone for Christmas to keep in touch with her and keep up with her hectic sports activities.

One time when Gabbie was in her room using her cellphone, Jackie suddenly heard her daughter screaming in pain.

Gabbie ran downstairs, her hand clapped around her neck, hysterical with panic and agony. It took Jackie several more minutes to find out what exactly had happened.

It turns out, Gabbie had been using the T-Mobile while the phone was plugged into a socket and charging. A sudden shock from an electrical current traveled through the phone and met with Gabbie’s metal necklace, searing her neck instantly.

In the emergency room, Gabbie was found to have second-degree burns circling around her neck.

According to the U.S. Product Consumer Safety Commission, cellphone injuries are rare, but when they do happen, they usually stem from overheated lithium-ion batteries that lead to explosions and serious burns.

Incidents like these are traced to knock-off chargers, or batteries purchased from third-party vendors. Meanwhile Jackie says they bought the phone direct from T-Mobile, complete with all its original components.

An LG Optimus F6 D500 similar to the phone that burned Gabbie…

While LG never responded to the family’s complaint, thankfully T-Mobile offered to pay for Gabbie’s medical bills, and sent the family a new phone free of charge.

Gabbie continues to be wary about using her new cellphone these days, and will carry the burn scar around her neck for the rest of her days.

Let this be a lesson to everyone: always be careful about using electronic equipment, especially if they are plugged in and charging. You never know what might happen…