Family heartbroken after Summer Steer, 4, dies after swallowing lithium battery

SUMMER Steer was the light of her family's life. The "little pocket rocket" died on Sunday after swallowing a tiny lithium battery.

Lithium batteries present a serious health danger if swallowed.

SUMMER Steer was her family's "little pocket rocket".

The four-year-old from the Sunshine Coast died tragically on Sunday after swallowing a lithium battery - the compact type found in countless household items.

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Grieving family and friends yesterday paid tribute to the tiny, curly-haired girl with a big personality.

Her parents have told how she was brave until the very end.

Summer was a little sister to Finn, 7, a daughter to Brad and Andrea and a mummy to her favourite bald doll Kai.

The family begged parents to remain vigilant, warning that what happened to Summer could happen to anyone.

"Sadly what occurred could have happened to anyone with small children, and we sincerely hope that this tragedy will act as a warning to all parents," the parents said in a statement. "Remain vigilant, and if you are in any doubt seek medical assistance immediately."

To those who knew her, Summer was full of life.

"She was constantly on the go," said Andrea's best friend Kelly Trevor.

"TV wasn't her thing. She'd rather be riding the bike dancing or just running around."

She loved playing tricks on her mother, sometimes claiming a person was at the door, only for Andrea to stop her work and find no one there.

Summer was close to her older brother, and the two would spend hours building cubby houses and hosting picnics under the kitchen table, complete with raw noodles.

She was a thinker who sometimes knew a bit too much. She loved art and craft and would fashion cards and gifts for people with cardboard and decorations.

She nurtured younger children at the Tewantin Early Learning Centre she would have graduated from this year.

Friends say they have no idea when Summer would have swallowed the battery, and it is not known where it came from.

But as it reacted chemically inside her body, little Summer became uncharacteristically ill.

It wasn't until scans picked up the presence of the battery that the cause of her sickness became apparent.

The button-shaped batteries are found in many common household items.

When swallowed, they can get caught in the oesophagus and start to burn a hole.

The chemical reaction is triggered by the body's saliva and can keep burning through various layers of tissue organs right through to the spine.

The family thanked all medical staff and helicopter crew who treated Summer at the Noosa and Royal Brisbane and Women's hospitals.

They said Summer was extremely brave all the way through her ordeal and they hoped her memory would live on to prevent this tragedy happening to any other family.

"If Summer's tragedy can even save one life, the job's done," said dad (Brad).

"We will love and miss her so much."