The child placed his jelly-filled rubber toy in the microwave. The toy suddenly exploded, and the hot jelly spread over the child’s face.

A 9-year-old boy suffered severe burns to his face while attempting a viral online challenge using a popular sensory toy, in an incident that raised doctors’ concerns about digital challenges and the dangers of household burns.

Caleb Chapola, from Illinois, placed his jelly-filled rubber toy in the microwave after hearing about a challenge that encouraged heating it to make it softer, even though the toy is designed only to be squeezed for stress relief and not for heating.

The toy exploded suddenly, and the hot jelly sprayed over his face, causing severe burns that required his transfer to a specialized burn center at Loyola University for proper care.

Doctors confirmed that Caleb was lucky; despite the significant swelling, he did not suffer permanent eye damage and is currently recovering without long-term effects. The medical team noted that similar incidents are not uncommon, with around 30% of the burn center’s patients being children, often due to preventable household accidents.

Kelly McCligott, the center’s awareness coordinator, confirmed that many burns among children result from common household items such as microwavable foods, hot coffee, or toys used incorrectly, warning parents not to ignore warning labels and safety instructions.

Caleb’s mother indicated that her son did not see the challenge directly on TikTok but heard about it from friends. The platform stated that any content promoting dangerous behavior is considered a violation of community guidelines and is removed immediately when detected. The toy manufacturer has not yet issued an official comment.

This tragic incident serves as a reminder to exercise caution with children at home and to monitor the digital content they are exposed to, to safeguard their safety from potential hazards.