Dangerous TikTok trend leaves boy badly burned as doctors issue warning

Health

Dangerous TikTok trend leaves boy badly burned as doctors issue warning

Mother warns other parents about dangerous trend after her son required emergency treatment

Melissa Rudy Fox News

Published

February 4, 2026 9:37pm EST

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A 9-year-old boy is recovering after a popular toy caused second-degree burns to his face and hands.

Caleb Chabolla, a fourth-grader in Illinois, was injured after heating up a NeeDoh in the microwave late last month.

The NeeDoh, a sensory toy similar to a stress ball, is described on the company’s website as a "gratifying super soft, super stretchy dough filled groovy glob."

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After microwaving the toy to soften it, Chabolla removed it and began squeezing it when it exploded in his face.

Caleb Chabolla, a fourth-grader in Illinois, was injured after heating up a NeeDoh in the microwave late last month. (Whitney Grubb)

"I heard him screaming loudly and saw him take off running toward the bathroom, and he just kept yelling, ‘it burns, it burns,’" Whitney Grubb, the boy’s mother, told Fox News Digital.

Grubb saw that the right side of Chabolla’s face was covered in a thick gel, with bright red skin underneath. She initially tried to wash off the substance, but it was too painful, so she drove her son to the emergency room.

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Chabolla was ultimately transferred via ambulance to the Loyola Burn Center, where he stayed overnight. Doctors "debrided" the burn, which involves cleaning burn wounds by removing dead, damaged or infected skin and debris.

"Because his eye ended up swelling all the way closed, they also brought in ophthalmology to make sure he didn't have any injury to his eye," Grubb said.

The NeeDoh, a sensory toy similar to a stress ball, is described on the company’s website as a "gratifying super soft, super stretchy dough filled groovy glob." (Whitney Grubb)

The doctors at Loyola informed Grubb that they had recently treated four other children who had been burned by heating up NeeDohs, stemming from a viral trend on TikTok.

"Caleb had heard about it through word of mouth through friends at school," Grubb said.

After two weeks of recovery and daily wound cleanings, Chabolla was released to return to school on Wednesday.

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"His face is looking a lot better," Grubb said. "There are a few spots that are still healing, but the majority of his face is pretty healed over."

He will continue to need vitamin E lotion as well as sunscreen to keep the skin protected from burns, she added.

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"For the most part, Caleb is just happy to be back at school to see his friends, so he's in better spirits now."

Grubb wants to spread the word to warn other parents about the potential dangers of putting these types of toys in the microwave.

"For the most part, Caleb is just happy to be back at school to see his friends, so he's in better spirits now." (Whitney Grubb)

"It’s hard to micromanage every little thing your kid does, and unfortunately, kids are going to experiment and try things — they don't know the risks of these kinds of things, and they don’t know how hot things can get in a short amount of time."

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Fox News Digital reached out to the manufacturer of NeeDoh and to the Loyola Burn Center requesting comment.

Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.

Dangerous TikTok trend leaves boy badly burned as doctors issue warning