Trichobezoar in a child is a rare, alarming condition that can masquerade as gluten intolerance, functional tummy pain, or other common digestive complaints, often delaying correct diagnosis and prompting a cascade of tests that may miss the underlying cause for weeks or even months.In this case, a Newquay mother discovered her daughter’s stomach pains were due to a melon-sized hairball rather than dietary issues, a striking example of trichobezoar in children that left clinicians puzzled before imaging finally clarified the problem, as doctors pieced together clinical, imaging, and family history clues.