A nine-year-old boy has suffered severe second-degree burns to his face and hands after a dangerous TikTok-inspired experiment went horrifically wrong. Caleb Chabolla, from Chicago, Illinois, placed his NeeDoh Nice Cube sensory toy into a microwave, believing it would make the rubber more flexible, after a friend showed him a video on the social media platform.
Horrific Kitchen Incident
Caleb's mother, Whitney Grubb, described the terrifying moment she heard her son's blood-curdling screams from the kitchen. "I heard him scream and I saw him take off running towards one of our bathrooms and that stuff had popped on his face," she told CBS News. The young boy was heard crying "It burns, it burns" as the incident unfolded.
How The Toy Reacted To Heat
While the outside layer of the popular sensory toy is made from non-toxic silicone, the interior contains a glue-like substance that expands rapidly and bursts when exposed to significant heat. When Caleb opened the microwave door, this heated material exploded onto the right side of his face, causing immediate injury.
Emergency Medical Response
Whitney Grubb rushed her son to the emergency room where medical staff washed the burns and carefully removed dead skin before applying specialised ointment. "By the time we were settled in at Loyola, his eye was completely swollen shut, so I was immediately worried about his eye," the concerned mother explained to ABC7.
Fortunately, an ophthalmic examination revealed that Caleb's vision remained unimpaired by the incident. The young boy spent two days in hospital receiving treatment but did not require skin grafts, though medical professionals warned he might develop permanent scars from the burns.
Not An Isolated Incident
Doctors have confirmed that Caleb is not the only child to have been injured by this dangerous trend. Kelly McElligott of the Loyola Medicine burn centre revealed: "A child who heated it up in the microwave, then put her finger on it and her finger went through, and it burned her finger."
Urgent Safety Warnings Issued
Both Caleb's mother and medical professionals are now issuing stark warnings to families about the dangers of heating sensory toys. "Do not heat these up in any way, shape, or form," emphasised Kelly McElligott. "Whether it's the microwave, hot water, those things can really be dangerous."
The NeeDoh Nice Cube does carry warning labels explicitly stating that the toy should not be heated, but this incident highlights how social media trends can override safety instructions. Caleb is scheduled for a follow-up appointment at the burn clinic and is expected to return to school in the coming week as he continues his recovery.
This alarming case serves as a crucial reminder about the importance of supervising children's online activities and discussing the very real dangers that can arise from attempting viral social media challenges without proper understanding of the risks involved.
