Dangerous TikTok trend leaves boy severely burned as doctors issue warning

A 9-year-old boy is recovering after a popular toy caused second-degree burns to his face and hands.

Caleb Chabolla, a fourth-grader in Illinois, was injured after heating a NeeDoh in the microwave late last month.

NeeDoh, a stress ball-like sensory toy, is described on the company’s website as a “rewarding, super-soft, super-stretchy, plump, wonderful dough.”

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After heating the toy in the microwave to soften it, Chabolla took it out and began squeezing it when it exploded in his face.

“I heard him scream loudly and I saw him run into the bathroom, and he kept screaming, ‘burn, burn,'” Whitney Grubb, the boy’s mother, told News Digital.

Grubb saw that the right side of Chabolla’s face was covered in a thick gel, with bright red skin underneath. At first she tried to wash the substance off, but it hurt too much, so she took her son to the emergency room.

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Chabolla was eventually taken by ambulance to the Loyola Burn Center, where he spent the night. Doctors “debrided” the burn, which involves cleaning the wounds by removing dead, damaged or infected skin and debris.

“Because her eye ended up swelling shut, they also called an ophthalmologist to make sure she didn’t have any injuries to her eye,” Grubb said.

Loyola doctors informed Grubb that they had recently treated four other children who had been burned by heating NeeDohs, as a result of a viral trend on TikTok.

“Caleb had heard about it by word of mouth through friends at school,” Grubb said.

After two weeks of recovery and daily wound cleanings, Chabolla was released to return to school on Wednesday.

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“His face looks a lot better,” Grubb said. “There are a few spots that are still healing, but most of his face is pretty healed.”

You will still need vitamin E lotion and sunscreen to keep your skin protected from burns, she added.

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“For the most part, Caleb is happy to be back at school to see his friends, so he’s in a better mood now.”

Grubb wants to spread the word to warn other parents about the potential dangers of putting these types of toys in the microwave.

“It’s hard to control every little thing your child does and, unfortunately, kids are going to experiment and try things; they don’t know the risks of these types of things and they don’t know how hot things can get in a short period of time.”

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News Digital has reached out to the manufacturer of NeeDoh and the Loyola Burn Center for comment.