TikTok trend Needoh cube: Boy burned after social media trend; Loyola Medicine shares urgent warning

chicago — A 9-year-old boy in Illinois is on the mend two weeks after putting a simple toy in the microwave.

Within seconds, it exploded, causing burns to his face.

“He was just crying and screaming, ‘He’s burning, he’s burning,'” said Whitney Grubb, Caleb Chapolla’s mother.

Grubb says her son’s Nidoh cube exploded. Inside the popular sensory toy, a thick, jelly-like substance became hot from the microwave and stuck to his face.

“The right side of his face was kind of melting off,” Grubb said.

Caleb says he doesn’t remember much after the explosion. But he remembers where he got the idea to put it in the microwave.

“It’s like a stress game. I didn’t know this was a trend on TikTok before, because my girlfriend did it before, but she didn’t get hurt,” Caleb said.

The idea is to warm up the game and make it more flexible. Caleb’s mother says her son didn’t hear about it directly from social media, however, her son continues to be a victim of a dangerous trend.

“These people don’t know the ramifications of what these foolish challenges and trends can do to children, especially young ones,” Grubb said.

Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois says Caleb is the fourth case they’ve seen this year involving Nido’s cubes.

“We see the negative results of TikTok challenges all the time,” said Kelly McElligott, burn education coordinator at Loyola University Medical Center. “People who are getting hurt don’t necessarily post TikToks. You just see the fun stuff where it looks cool.”

The family says their message to parents and children alike is simple.

“Sometimes you take your knowledge for granted. That makes sense to us, but it doesn’t make sense to them,” Grubb said.

“Just think before you act,” Caleb said.

Although the burn was very close to his eye, Loyola Hospital said his vision will be fine, adding that the hospital was sharing Caleb’s story amid National Burn Awareness Week.

Both Caleb and his mother are grateful for his quick recovery.

Caleb says he’s ready to go back to school and tells his friends not to do what he did or do anything they see on social media without asking an adult first.

Our sister station WLS-TV in Chicago reached out to the company that makes the Needoh Cube but did not immediately hear back.