NEED TO KNOW
- Caleb Chabolla, 9, attempted a viral social media trend of microwaving a NeeDoh Nice Cube, his mother said
- After he opened the microwave, the gel-based toy exploded on his face
- He suffered second-degree burns on one side and on his hands
A 9-year-old boy suffered severe injuries after participating in a recent social media trend.
On the morning of Jan. 20, Caleb Chabolla was preparing to leave for school when he attempted to microwave Schylling’s NeeDoh Nice Cube to make the gel-based toy more pliable, Loyola Medicine said in a news release shared with PEOPLE.
Caleb’s mother, Whitney Grubb, said that her son got the idea to try the trend after a conversation with a friend, who told him about the social media trend. She was in the garage to warm up her car when she heard the microwave start, and thought Caleb was warming up his breakfast.
“After hearing what she described as a blood-curdling scream, she knew something was wrong,” the medical center said, confirming that Caleb had attempted to microwave the popular sensory toy. However, when he opened the microwave, the object, “filled with gelatinous material, exploded on his face and hands.”
Grubb tried to rinse off the substance in the shower; however, it didn’t work. She took him to the emergency room, and he was later transferred to Loyola Medicine’s Burn Center. He also saw an ophthalmologist to treat his eye, which was swollen shut.
His vision was not impacted and Caleb is now recovering at home, Loyola Medicine said.
The Nice Cube is a “sensory squish is perfect for stretching, smushing, squeezing, and soothing,” according to the official website. “Do NOT heat, freeze, or microwave, may cause personal injury,” the site warning states.
He suffered second-degree burns on one side and on his hands, his mother told CBS News. He is expected to return to school later this week.
Paula Petersen, APN, a burn center advanced practice nurse, remarked in Loyola’s news release how Caleb is “very lucky he didn’t sustain greater injuries.” She added, “These trends can be extremely dangerous for young people who are less likely to consider or unable to understand the serious consequences.”
McElligott said the young boy is the fourth child who has come into the facility because of the trend. “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,” McElligott said, according to CBS News.
She told WGN9 that 30% of their patients are pediatric patients. “I think it’s every day common things in the home that are burning these kids and we want to make sure that parents should be diligent about what’s in their house,” she said, citing the aforementioned toys as well as “ramen noodles coming out of the microwave that kids spill on themselves, or little kids pulling hot coffee off the counter.”
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PEOPLE reached out to Schylling for comment.
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