SA singer issues stern warning to parents about lasers

Updated March 6, 2026, 9:53 a.m. | By Tamlyn Canham

"Break those lasers," Bobby van Jaarsveld warns parents after his son's laser accident.

BOBBY VAN JAARSVELD SON AFTER SURGERY — Jacaranda FM

South African singer Bobby van Jaarsveld has revealed that his son lost 90% of his vision in one eye due to a laser light.

He says an "innocent" laser was shone into his son, Leben's, eyes, leading to a serious injury.

“I didn’t think I was going to share this, but I feel I have to warn people," Van Jaarsveld wrote in Afrikaans on his social media pages.

"We never want to experience this again. My son, Leben, lost 90% of his vision because of an ‘innocent’ laser that shone into his eye."

The 'Net Vir Jou' hitmaker is now urging parents about the dangers of lasers. "Break those lasers."

Thankfully, Leben is on the road to recovery, and Van Jaarsveld says a doctor has helped save his eye.

“For a long time, we prayed, begged, and held on to faith, because we were told he was going to lose his eye — and the feeling a parent experiences when they hear that is impossible to describe," he wrote on Instagram.

"After getting a few opinions, thank God we ended up with the right doctor, Dr B Wolff, and he was able to save his eye with a successful operation."

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A post shared by BOBBY VAN JAARSVELD (@bobbyvanjaarsveld)

Dangers of laser toys

Laser toys pose serious risks if not used properly and, in some cases, can lead to permanent eye damage.

According to America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA), "highly concentrated light from lasers" can lead to blindness.

Toys such as 'lightsabers' have become popular over the years thanks to movies like 'Star Wars'. Lasers are also mounted on toy guns and spinning tops.

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While the toys can be used safely, their warning labels advise against pointing lasers in people's faces, and particularly the eyes. This also includes animals.

The FDA issued the following recommendations on its website:

Don't aim lasers at vehicles/aircraft.
Broken laser toys should be discarded immediately. [Read the instructions for the correct way to do so]
Don't buy laser pointers for children.
Do not buy/use lasers that emit over 5mW of power.

It also advises contacting a healthcare professional immediately if you suspect that your child has suffered an eye injury due to a laser being pointed at them.

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