TOWIE Star Chloe Lewis Recalls Son's Ice Skating Accident on GMB
Chloe Lewis, the reality television star best known for her appearances on The Only Way Is Essex, became visibly emotional during a recent appearance on Good Morning Britain. The 35-year-old mother fought back tears as she recounted the moment she received what she described as "the phone call that no parent ever wants to receive" about her six-year-old son Beau.
The Devastating Incident
Lewis revealed that the accident occurred on New Year's Eve afternoon when her son was ice skating. Beau lost the top half of his finger after it was skated over by another person on the ice. The television personality received a frantic call about the incident and immediately drove 45 minutes to an hour to reach the ice rink, though she admits she's not entirely sure how she managed the journey in her distraught state.
"When I got there, he was wrapped up in a silver blanket," Lewis told hosts Ed Balls and Susanna Reid. "The ice rink had already wrapped his finger up in ice. They had called an ambulance, but we don't know why it wasn't there yet."
Emergency Response Delays
The reality star described waiting in distress for emergency services to arrive, with the ambulance taking approximately an hour and a half to reach the ice rink. Lewis expressed frustration with the response time, noting that rink staff had previously discussed with emergency services about being prioritized for accidents at their facility.
"When I got there, I was in a bit of a state," Lewis admitted. "The lady that was there, bless her, she was amazing. I was like 'Where's the ambulance?'"
Medical Realities and Recovery
Initially, Lewis believed that medical professionals would be able to reattach her son's finger and restore normal function. However, she quickly learned the harsh reality of such injuries. During the ambulance transport to hospital, she conducted an internet search that revealed the longer a finger remains unattached, the less chance it has of surviving.
"We got blue lighted to hospital and the plastic surgeon pulled me aside," Lewis explained. "He had the chat with me that maybe the finger wouldn't survive. I didn't think that would be the case. I thought they'd just reattach it and everything would be fine."
Despite medical efforts, Beau ultimately lost the top portion of his finger. Lewis praised her son's resilience throughout the ordeal, noting that the six-year-old has handled the situation remarkably well and has even returned to school where he shows his friends his injured finger.
Turning Tragedy into Action
The harrowing experience has motivated Lewis to campaign for legislative changes to prevent similar accidents from occurring to other children. She has launched a government petition calling for compulsory protective gloves for children while ice skating.
"As I'll never be able to bring his finger back, I'd love all your support in helping me change the Law to stop this happening to other children," Lewis stated. "I've started a petition with the government to make it compulsory for children to wear protective gloves whilst ice skating."
The petition requires 100,000 signatures to be considered for debate in Parliament. Lewis expressed hope that she might one day tell her son that his accident led to meaningful change that protects other children from similar injuries.
Since her days on TOWIE, Lewis has built a successful career as an influencer and content creator. Her emotional interview on Good Morning Britain highlighted both the personal trauma of her son's accident and her determination to create positive change from a devastating situation.
