Grapefruit-Sized Hairball In 3-Year-Old

[Xen]

as reported by a "whats new" Netscape pop up window



A hairball the size of a grapefruit has been removed from the stomach of a 3-year-old girl from Stettler, Alberta who is otherwise healthy and happy, reports the Canadian Press. "It was huge and looked like a dead rat," Cherie Trahan told the news service about the hairball inside her daughter Alyssa Halcrow.


The mom decided to brave the media and go public with this bizarre story to warn other parents what can happen if their children chew on their hair, something little Alyssa has done for nearly two years. She also enjoys eating string, the stuffing from stuffed animals, and other weird things. Trahan says her daughter suffers from a mild form of autism called pervasive developmental disorder (PPD), and she uses her mouth to identify objects since her other senses are less developed.


During the summer, Trahan could tell that Alyssa was ill. "She would sleep for four or five days at a time and wouldn't eat," Trahan told the Canadian Press. "She lost two diaper sizes and one shoe size because of weight loss." Doctors were stumped, unable to identify the problem. As Alyssa's condition worsened, she was referred to the University of Albert hospital in Edmonton where the surgery was performed three months ago. Hairballs in children are exceedingly rare, but they can be fatal since they can cause blockage and the stomach to rupture. Alyssa is doing fine now and has even gained weight. Her hair, in case you wondered, has been cut short. Very short.

well, that was weird...

 

[WillJ]

First a guy who gets sexual pleasure from people commiting suicide, then a little girl with a grapefruit-sized hairball?

What next?

 

[newfangle]

Wow that's like an hour from my house.

I should really see whats in my stomach.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

Here's my question for all "news":

What are YOU going to do about it? Is it actionable news?

Well, I guess Newfie's new resolve to get his stomach checked makes it so

 

[Perfection]

*Perfection stops eating the bag of hair he obtained from te local barbershop*

Wow, I never realized that eating undigestable fibers is harmful to humans I thought it was just harmful to dogs, cats, and all other forms of mammals!

Thank you, Netscape, you've saved my life!

 

[floppa21]

Hey, that's a bezoar in certain circles and quite valuable. (the hairball I mean) I wonder where it ended up...

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

"Certain circles"? What price does M. La Vey set?

 

[floppa21]

Hey man, that hairball has power.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

Oh, I know - I've read Harry Potter

 

[Xen]

what about he hair ball from a bovine animal that can tell the future, as portrayed by Jim in the advetures of Huckelberry Finn

 

[floppa21]

Hairy Pooter mentioned Bezoars?

 

[Archer 007]

How exactly do this happen?

 

[floppa21]

People chew or suck on the ends of their own hair, usually nervous or stress. We don't necessarily hack it up or crap it out like animals can.

 

[Amenhotep7]

Whoah...A hairball... Where do people pull these stories from???They sure don't seem to make them papers, that for sure.....

Hey Perfection, gimme some of that!
*snatches bag of hair from his hands and starts eating.

I'll quit tomorrow, I swear!

 

[Mescalhead]

I've heard about this before, except it was with some girl from India. I think her hairball was like 6 pounds.

 

[Amenhotep7]

Hair chewing must be a popular fad...*continues eating hair...

 

[cgannon64]

I bet that hairball will end up on the side of some interstate in Kansas.

"See the WORLD'S BIGGEST HAIRBALL made right here in KANSAS!"

 

[Bozo Erectus]

she uses her mouth to identify objects

I just want to go on the record saying that any jokes made about the above would be in poor taste (no pun intended).

 

[Xen]

well, eiththe notable exception that this article came from a "whats new" netscape pop up window, which, as yo can see is doing a fine job on keeping me, and the rest of the world up to date on vital newsreports such as this

 

[superslug]

What the article failed to mention was that this poor young child originally swallowed the hare-ball when attempting to cannibalize the Easter Bunny.