A 10-year-old British girl named Bella was hospitalized after a squishy toy exploded on her face, leaving her with a "traumatic" burn. "It looked like she had been punched in the face," her mother, Charlotte, 42, from Bristol, told the BBC.
Her daughter was reportedly at a friend's house when the incident occurred. She is said to have copied the viral TikTok challenge, where youngsters put the soft toy - made of rubber and filled with polyvinyl alcohol - in the fridge and then heat it in the microwave for a few seconds to make it "more pliable".
The seemingly harmless experiment backfired as the gelatinous cube exploded, covering Bella's face in molten spray that resembled napalm.
"When she came in, I immediately saw that her face was bright red... I could see the burn mark and there was missing skin and blisters. Because of the silicone outer layer, they couldn't tell how hot it was inside, so her friend squeezed it, and that's when it exploded for both of them," Charlotte told the media.
"Please talk to your children about the dangers. If you Google it, you'll see there have been many children with terrible burns from this," Charlotte warned. "This post was to raise awareness about one of the children who has a very popular toy at the moment," she added.
The terrified mother is now worried her child could be scarred for life. TikTok warns on its website that the platform does not “allow the display or promotion of dangerous activities, challenges or violence”.
Made by the Massachusetts-based Schylling toy company, “NeeDoh” is currently one of the best-selling toys on the market. Some of these soft stress cubes are currently selling on eBay for up to $500. ©LAPSI.al
