Reality TV Star Launches Campaign for Child Ice Skating Safety
Reality television personality Chloe Lewis is leading a high-profile campaign calling for mandatory protective gloves for children ice skating. This initiative follows a devastating accident in which her six-year-old son, Beau, lost the top half of his finger.
The Horrific Incident on New Year's Eve
The former star of The Only Way Is Essex revealed earlier this month that her son suffered the severe injury on New Year's Eve. Speaking emotionally on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Lewis described receiving "the call that no parent ever wants to receive about their child, that they've been in a terrible accident."
Beau was immediately rushed to the Royal London Hospital, where surgeons attempted to reattach the fingertip. Unfortunately, the procedure was unsuccessful. "Now we're in a situation where the finger has gone back on and it hasn't survived. So yeah, he has lost the top half of his finger," Lewis explained during the interview.
Praising Her Son's Resilience and Recovery
Despite the traumatic experience, Lewis praised her son's remarkable resilience. "He's done really well with it all. He's taken it in his stride and gone back to school and been excited to show his school friends his finger – he's been great," she said, highlighting Beau's positive attitude throughout his recovery process.
Campaigning to Prevent Future Tragedies
Driven by her personal experience, Lewis is determined to prevent similar incidents from occurring to other families. "I don't want to see any other parent go through what I went through, and child as well," she stated emphatically.
She added a poignant message about her motivation: "One day, hopefully, I can tell him (Beau) that we changed the law. I can't bring back your finger, but one day, we've changed the law and made it better for other children – and safer."
Important Details About the Accident
During her television appearance with presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, Lewis clarified that Beau was wearing gloves at the time of the accident but "took them off for a split second." Although the incident did not occur at a Planet Ice Rink, the company has proactively announced that protective gloves will become compulsory for children under twelve at all their venues starting June 1.
Growing Public Support Through Petition
Lewis's petition, which calls on the UK Government to mandate protective gloves for children ice skating nationwide, has already gathered significant momentum with over 24,000 signatures. Under government rules, petitions reaching 10,000 signatures require an official response, while those achieving 100,000 signatures trigger consideration for a parliamentary debate.
The campaign represents a powerful intersection of celebrity advocacy and public safety concerns, highlighting how personal tragedy can spark meaningful calls for regulatory change to protect vulnerable children across the country.
