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An Alabama teenager and his family are warning about the dangers of a viral social media trend after he suffered third-degree burns when a microwaved sensory toy exploded.
Eli Blackmon, now 13, was 11 when he saw videos on TikTok showing people putting NeeDoh squishy toys in the microwave in order to soften them.
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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“I thought it was harmless because an adult tried it and nothing happened,” he told Fox News Digital this week.
“When I took it out, my older sister held it for a few minutes, then I was playing with it. As soon as I squeezed it, it burst and the hot gel exploded onto my neck, chest and hands.”
The hot gel caused third-degree burns on the boy’s neck and chest.
“At first I was just feeling frantic because I wasn’t sure what was going on because he was just screaming and not communicating,” the teen’s mother, Fallon Blackmon, told Fox News Digital.
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“My husband is a fire medic and I work in emergency call taking, so I had a little knowledge of how serious it was. That obviously didn’t keep me from panicking on the inside.”
She was not aware of this trend before her child’s injury, she said.
“If I was aware, we would have had a conversation about not doing it.”
Eli Blackmon recalled feeling extreme pain after the injury.
“I thought I was going to die. I kept telling my parents, ‘I don’t want to die, I’m sorry,’ and I that I loved them.”
Blackmon was transported by ambulance to the emergency department at the local children’s hospital, and was later sent to the burn unit for wound care and debridement.
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“With how severe the burn was, they would typically recommend skin grafts, but they wouldn’t consider it for him because of the risks to his airway,” his mother said.
Blackmon had weekly visits with the burn unit for four months, during which the doctors scraped off dead skin and performed wound care.
“This was done with no pain meds or numbing, so all his follow-up appointments were very painful,” Fallon Blackmon said.
“Once the wound started to heal and the scarring began, they had to do chemical burns because he was developing granulation tissue.”
“Don’t do it! It’s stupid! It causes so much pain.”
The teen also developed a rash from the bandages, which quickly turned into a staph infection.
“Another issue was that the burn was pulling fluids from his body, and this caused severe lower GI issues for months,” his mother said.
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Blackmon, who is a jiu-jitsu athlete, missed months of training and competing due to the injury. The family also faced thousands of dollars worth of hospital bills, doctor bills and wound care supplies over the four-month care period.
Now, the teen and his mother aim to help prevent other families from going through the same ordeal.
“If you purchase these types of toys, please just mention this trend and not to do it,” she urged parents. “Even if they don’t have social media, kids in school are hearing it from other kids.”
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Today, Blackmon attends to his scar each day so that it doesn’t cause any issues with neck mobility.
“I have to do stretches and moisturize and massage it daily,” he said.
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“It hasn’t really changed my confidence because all my friends and family are very supportive and tell me my scar is cool.”
To other kids who may be thinking about participating in this social media trend, Blackmon’s advice is simple: “Don’t do it! It’s stupid! It causes so much pain and other problems.”
“Actually, just don’t do any trends on TikTok, even if you think they are harmless,” he added. “Talk to your parents.”
Blackmon’s mother agreed, noting that sharing the story and receiving negative criticism from adults online would be worth preventing another child from being “scarred for life” and experiencing something so traumatic.
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A spokesperson for TikTok USDS Joint Venture previously shared with Fox News Digital that any content that “promotes dangerous behavior” and may lead to serious injury is considered a violation of the platform’s Community Guidelines. The company claims that it immediately removes these videos when they are found.
Fox News Digital reached out to the manufacturer of NeeDoh requesting comment.
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