Illinois Boy Hospitalised With Severe Burns Following Dangerous TikTok Trend
A nine-year-old boy from Illinois has been hospitalised with severe second-degree burns after participating in a troubling TikTok trend that caused his sensory toy to explode violently. The incident has prompted urgent warnings from medical professionals and the child's family about the hidden dangers of viral social media challenges.
Microwave Experiment Goes Tragically Wrong
Caleb Chabolla, aged nine, heated his NeeDoh Nice Cube sensory toy in the microwave at his family home in Plainfield, a suburb of Chicago, after a friend suggested it would make the rubber toy more pliable. What began as an innocent experiment quickly turned into a medical emergency when the toy exploded, covering the boy's face with scalding hot gel-like substance.
"He was crying and just yelling, 'It burns, it burns,'" recounted the boy's mother, Whitney Grubb, in an emotional interview with local media. "The right side of his face was kind of melting off, basically."
Severe Injuries and Medical Treatment
Emergency medical teams transported Caleb to Loyola University Medical Center where doctors discovered he had sustained second-degree burns to his face and hands. Medical staff were forced to cut away dead skin from the affected areas, though fortunately the young boy did not require skin grafts.
Burn unit specialist Dr. Kelly McElligot confirmed that while Caleb's vision remained unaffected following an ophthalmologist examination, the injuries would likely result in permanent scarring. The doctor revealed this marked the fourth incident involving NeeDoh Cubes treated at their medical facility this year alone.
Growing Concern Over Social Media Challenges
The dangerous trend gained significant popularity on TikTok throughout last year, prompting the toy manufacturer to add explicit warning labels against freezing or heating their products. Despite these precautions, children continue to replicate risky behaviours they encounter online.
"We see the negative results of TikTok challenges all the time," Dr. McElligot explained. "The people who are getting hurt don't necessarily post the TikToks. You're just seeing the fun ones where it looks cool."
Family's Warning to Parents and Children
Caleb's mother has issued a heartfelt plea to social media users who create and share potentially dangerous content, urging them to consider younger audiences who might attempt to replicate their videos. "These people don't know the repercussions of what these challenges and goofy trends can do to kids, especially the younger ones," she emphasised.
The family stresses that what might seem like common sense to adults often isn't apparent to children, making parental vigilance and education crucial. "Sometimes you take for granted what your knowledge is. That's common sense to us, but not common sense to them," Grubb noted.
Recovery and Moving Forward
As Caleb prepares to return to school, he has a clear message for his peers about his traumatic experience. "Just think before you act," the nine-year-old advised, adding that while his friend who suggested the trend wasn't injured, he now understands the serious risks involved.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the physical dangers that can accompany viral internet trends, particularly when they involve household items or toys being used in unintended ways. Medical professionals continue to warn parents to monitor their children's online activities and discuss potential hazards associated with social media challenges.
