La Quinta mom warns other parents after toddler is left paralyzed after choking on gummy candy

3-year-old Amelie Paredes Sotelo was left quadriplegic last December, after she choked on a gummy candy in front of her family inside their La Quinta home.

Her parents are now warning others against consuming Candy Land Gummy Dot candies produced by the Philadelphia-based company and toy company Hasbro. 

"I would not want this to happen to anyone. It's a very scary situation and it's very painful," said Maria Aylin Sotelo Camacho, mother of Amelie. She added, "I still get a lot of anxiety just thinking about it. My kids still talk about it a lot. Obviously Amelie, her life changed."

The family has filed a lawsuit against the candy maker over the lack of warnings about the potential choking hazard, safety warnings, or suggested ages for consuming the product.

“These candies were a ticking time bomb. We will pursue justice for this innocent little girl who was once a vibrant and thriving child, but is now permanently disabled, unable to speak, unable to swallow, and unable to move, for the rest of her life,” said attorney Thomas Bosworth, of Philadelphia-based Bosworth Law, who represents the girl and her family. “It is shocking that this level of brain damage caused by just one single piece of this dangerous gel candy.”

Doctors tried to suction and remove the candy lodged in the girl’s oropharynx at the back of her throat, which “was extremely difficult due to excessive stickiness of the product and its extraordinary lack of pliability,” the lawsuit states.

Due to the extended period without oxygen, the toddler, suffered permanent brain damage with spastic quadriplegia, and now requires lifelong medical care.

"I would love to get those gummies removed, or if that's not possible, at least get a warning and a warning thats big enough for parents to see because the packaging can be very deceiving," said Sotelo Camacho.

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