Any parent knows that the instinct to protect your child kicks in the moment they are born. It’s not something you learn—it becomes part of you. You see this small, helpless human and immediately understand that keeping them safe is now your full-time job, whether you’re awake, exhausted, or half-asleep but alert to danger.
Even the most careful parents know the world isn’t always fair. Accidents happen, unexpected situations arise, and danger can appear from the last place you’d think. That’s the hidden truth of parenting: you can’t anticipate every risk, and you can’t bubble-wrap your child against everything. All you can do is your best and hope it’s enough.
In 2016, a mother named Jackie Fedro learned this lesson the hard way. Her daughter’s story has resurfaced recently, and it remains just as alarming—and important—today.
Jackie had decided her 13-year-old daughter, Gabbie, was ready for her first cellphone. It seemed like a normal milestone. With a busy schedule of practices, after-school activities, and typical teenage chaos, a phone seemed like a safety tool—a way to stay connected, not a danger.
That Christmas, Gabbie unwrapped an LG D500. She was thrilled. It felt like her first step toward teenage independence. Jackie worried only about ordinary teen issues—staying up too late texting or losing the charger—not anything serious.
Then one afternoon came a scream from upstairs—a sharp, panicked cry that set off every alarm in Jackie’s mind. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, Gabbie was stumbling down, clutching her neck, crying in pain.
“She was screaming hysterically,” Jackie later told reporters. “It’s the worst feeling in the world as a mother, seeing your child in pain and not knowing how to help.” Minutes passed—long, terrifying minutes—before Gabbie could explain what had happened.
She’d been using her phone while it charged. Somehow, an electric shock traveled up the cord, passed through the phone, and made contact with the metal necklace around her neck. The necklace conducted the electricity, heating instantly and burning a ring around her throat.
The injury left second-degree burns—real, painful scars from something as ordinary as a teenager using a phone on her bed. Jackie’s shock turned to fear, confusion, and anger. It wasn’t something she—or most parents—had ever considered. A faulty charger, a damaged cord, or an off-brand accessory can instantly turn a common object into a hazard.
The burn circled almost all the way around Gabbie’s neck, leaving a permanent scar. While her physical wounds eventually healed, the emotional impact lasted longer. Gabbie was scared, Jackie shaken, and their family left with questions.
After the incident, Jackie urged other parents to raise awareness—not to scare, but to highlight hidden risks of electronics. Many teens use phones constantly, often while charging, wearing metal jewelry, sitting on blankets, or sleeping with devices nearby. Most people never think twice, but maybe we should.
Electric shocks from phones are rare, but possible. Damaged cords, counterfeit chargers, and everyday wear and tear can all increase risk. Combine that with metal jewelry, and danger can appear in an instant. Electricity takes the path of least resistance—and sometimes that path is through skin.
Gabbie’s case became a wake-up call: technology isn’t foolproof, and small daily habits can have consequences. Parents started checking chargers, talking about safe phone use, and discouraging kids from sleeping with phones under pillows.
For Jackie, the experience was unforgettable. She bought a phone to keep her daughter safe, only to unintentionally put her in danger. But instead of hiding the story, she shared it publicly so others could learn from it.
Today, Gabbie’s story circulates online, reminding parents how quickly ordinary moments can turn into emergencies. Parenting isn’t about predicting everything—it’s about learning, adapting, and doing better when you know better.
Parents already teach kids about internet safety, stranger danger, and password protection. Perhaps the conversation should also include simple device safety: don’t use damaged chargers, don’t sleep with phones under pillows, and avoid mixing electronics with metal jewelry while plugged in.
Small precautions can prevent serious accidents. Jackie’s message is simple: awareness saves children from risks you never imagined.
Gabbie’s story proves that even everyday devices deserve respect—and that one small warning could prevent another child’s painful experience.