Girl falls into coma after TikTok challenge goes horribly wrong

A seven-year-old girl from Missouri, Scarlett Selby, was left in a coma after a squishy toy exploded during a viral TikTok challenge. The incident occurred when Scarlett attempted a dangerous trend involving freezing a NeeDoh stress toy and then microwaving it to soften it, according to The Sun.

What was intended to be a fun experiment quickly turned into a nightmare when the toy burst, spraying a hot, sticky substance onto Scarlett’s chest, mouth, and chin. Her father, Josh Selby, watched in shock as he tried to wipe the substance off, only to have it stick to his own hand.

Scarlett’s parents rushed her to the hospital, where doctors placed her in a medically induced coma to prevent her airways from swelling due to severe burns on her mouth.

Recalling the terrifying moment, Josh told The Sun, “She had frozen the NeeDoh cube the night before and showed me the next day that it was rock solid. She was playing with it and then put it in the microwave. I was watching as she checked if it was too hot. Everything happened so fast. I heard a blood-curdling scream as the toy exploded all over her chest, mouth, and chin.”

“My first instinct was to wipe it off her, but my hand got stuck to her skin. It was thick and sticky. I had to rip her shirt off because it was also stuck to her clothing. I grabbed her and rushed to the hospital as fast as I could. I was an emotional wreck. She spent a week in the hospital, including three days in a coma. I couldn’t talk to anyone without breaking down in tears,” he added.

Scarlett’s mother, Amanda, described the 30-minute drive to the hospital as agonising, with Scarlett screaming in pain. Doctors decided against performing a skin graft immediately, instead opting to wait until she turns 12 to assess whether her scars will stretch with growth. In the meantime, Amanda applies creams and ointments to aid healing, though Scarlett remains self-conscious about her scars.

Deeply shaken, Josh is now urging parents to discard the toy to prevent similar accidents. He warns that the liquid inside the toy acts like glue, making it nearly impossible to remove from the skin once it hardens.

The toy’s manufacturer, Schylling Toys, has yet to respond to the incident. However, their website does contain a warning against heating, freezing, or microwaving the product due to potential hazards.