A seven-year-old girl suffered serious burns after trying a dangerous trend she saw online.
Scarlett Selby was watching TikTok and YouTube videos of people microwaving a NeeDoh cube. She wanted to try it herself, according to her mother, Amanda Blakenship.
In October last year, Scarlett froze the toy overnight. The next day, she put it in the microwave for a few seconds, thinking she was doing what she had seen online.
But things quickly took a dangerous turn. The toy exploded, sending hot, sticky liquid onto her face and chest.
Her father, Josh Selby, heard her scream and ran to help.
Josh, who lives in Festus, Missouri, described the moment: “She had frozen the NeeDoh cube the night before and was showing me how solid it was. Then she put it in the microwave.”
“I was watching her and saw her touch it to check if it was hot. It all happened so fast. She screamed, and the goo had exploded all over her chest, mouth, and chin.”
Josh tried to help her right away. “I wanted to wipe it off, but it was so thick and sticky that my hand stuck to her. I ripped off her shirt because it was stuck too. Then I rushed her to the hospital.”
Scarlett was taken to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where doctors placed her in a coma to stop her airways from swelling.
Amanda recalled the drive to the hospital: “She was still screaming. It took us 30 minutes to get there. She was so scared, and it hurt so much.”
Scarlett stayed in the hospital for a week, spending three days in a coma. Her father said, “I couldn’t stop crying. It was really hard.”
Scarlett suffered second and third-degree burns. Doctors are still deciding if she will need skin grafts.
Amanda said, “She still puts creams on the scars every day. Sometimes, she looks in the mirror and cries. She tries to cover them up in public.”
She reassures her daughter, saying, “She’s strong. She went through so much.”
Scarlett’s parents now warn others about the dangers of these toys and want families to throw them away.
The toy company, Schylling Toys, warns against heating, freezing, or microwaving their products. Social media platforms say they are working to remove unsafe content.