Child Hospitalised with Severe Burns After Following Viral Social Media Trend
A nine-year-old boy has suffered horrific burns to his face and hands after participating in a dangerous new social media challenge that involved microwaving a popular children's toy. The incident, which occurred as the boy was preparing for school, has prompted urgent warnings from medical experts and child safety advocates about the risks of online trends.
Exploding Toy Causes Life-Threatening Injuries
Caleb Chabolla, aged nine, was miraculously spared from losing an eye after a Needoh cube - a gelatinous sensory toy popular among schoolchildren - exploded in his family's microwave. His mother, Whitney Grubb, reported hearing a "blood-curdling scream" from the kitchen area where Caleb had been attempting the viral TikTok challenge without her knowledge.
The viscous gelatin material, heated beyond its limits, erupted from the microwave when Caleb opened the door, covering his face and hands with molten, sticky substance that continued to burn due to its heat-retaining properties. Despite immediate attempts to rinse the material in the shower, the thickness and adhesion of the substance necessitated emergency hospital treatment.
Medical Experts Issue Stern Warnings
Kelly McElligott, a burn outreach coordinator at Loyola's burn centre in Chicago where Caleb was transferred, explained the particular danger of such materials: "Because it's so viscous, it sticks, and it stays hot longer, it's going to cause a more significant burn." She emphasised that these sensory toys should never be heated in any manner, whether in microwaves or hot water.
Paula Petersen, a burn centre advanced practice nurse, revealed this represents the fourth similar case involving Needoh cubes this year alone. "Caleb is very lucky he didn't sustain greater injuries," Petersen stated. "These trends can be extremely dangerous for young people who are less likely to consider or unable to understand the serious consequences."
Parental Vigilance and Platform Responsibility
Whitney Grubb, Caleb's mother, stressed the importance of open communication with children about online safety. "It wasn't anything malicious, it was just kids sharing stories, and unfortunately, he decided to try it," she told reporters, adding that parents should ensure children understand the potential dangers of household items and online challenges.
TikTok spokesperson Nick Smith addressed the platform's policies regarding dangerous content, stating that their community guidelines strictly prohibit material promoting hazardous activities. "We remove these videos when we find them and in Q3 of last year, we removed 99.8% of them proactively and more than 97% within 24 hours," Smith explained, though the incident demonstrates how quickly such trends can spread before detection.
A Growing Concern for Child Safety
This alarming case highlights the ongoing challenge of protecting children from harmful social media trends that encourage risky behaviour. Medical professionals emphasise that the combination of accessible household appliances, popular children's toys, and viral online content creates a potentially lethal mixture that requires increased awareness from both parents and technology platforms.
The incident serves as a sobering reminder that seemingly innocent toys can become dangerous when used inappropriately, and that children's natural curiosity combined with social media influence can lead to catastrophic consequences without proper supervision and education about safety.
