A TODDLER has been left “crying in pain” and “traumatised” after being served boiling water instead of cold at a McDonald’s restaurant.
The girl, 3, was dining at the fast food outlet with her family when she scalded her tongue on what was supposed to be a cool drink of water, her dad said.
The toddler’s dad said he asked for cold water but was served boiling water insteadCredit: Getty
Former Singaporean national footballer, Ridhuan Muhamad, 41, said: “Our heart almost stopped.”
Recalling the visit to the Queensway shopping centre in Singapore on February 1, Ridhuan said the “normal” family outing quickly turned into a nightmare hospital trip.
“My daughter was accidentally given boiling hot water instead of cold water like we asked for,” he said.
“Seeing her crying in pain and so frightened broke our heart. No parent ever wants to see their child go through this.”
Ridhuan asked the staff member to fill up his child’s insulated water bottle with cold water.
He handed the bottle over and the staff member went away to fill the bottle out of his line of sight.
“When the bottle was returned to me, there was no verbal warning. I assumed it contained cold water, as requested,” he said.
The bottle evidently had been filled with boiling water instead.
“Because of this, she scalded her tongue and she couldn’t eat or drink properly, and she’s even traumatised at the sight of her water bottle,” Ridhuan told AsiaOne.
“If not because of the staff member’s complacency and negligence, this incident could have been avoided.”
Ridhuan accepts that as a parent, he had a responsibility to check before his daughter drank from the bottle.
“No parents would ever intentionally put their child in harm’s way,” he said.
“We always try to check everything before giving them food or drinks, but accident can still happen.”
The three-year-old was taken to hospital to check the damage and Ridhuan hopes his experience will help others.
“Thankfully she is stable now, but we really hope the outlet takes this seriously and improves checks so this doesn’t happen to another child,” he said.
“A small mistake can cause big harm.
“A painful reminder for parents too — always double-check drinks given to our little ones.”
McDonald’s has been contacted for comment.
A spokesperson told AsiaOne: “The safety and well-being of our customers is our priority. We are reviewing the incident with the restaurant team to reinforce service procedures and clearer communication, particularly when handling hot items.”
A mix-up at McDonald’s serves as a stark reminder to parents to check their child’s drinks, a dad has saidCredit: Getty
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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