A 7-year-old girl from Missouri, Scarlett Selby, fell into a coma after a squishy toy exploded while she was trying to follow a viral TikTok challenge. Scarlett was trying a trend where people freeze a NeeDoh stress toy and then microwave it to make it softer. What was meant to be a fun experiment quickly turned dangerous when the toy exploded, and a hot, sticky substance splattered on Scarlett’s chest, mouth and chin. Her father, Josh watched in shock and tried to clean, but it got stuck to his hand. Scarlett was rushed to the hospital by her parents where doctors placed her in a coma to prevent her airways from swelling due to the burns on her mouth.

Speaking with the Sun, the little girl’s father explained, “She’d frozen the NeeDoh cube the night before and the next day she showed me it was rock solid and was playing with it. She stuck it in the microwave. I was watching her and saw her touch it to check it wasn’t too hot when she pulled it out. It all happened so quickly. I heard her scream and it was like a blood-curdling scream. It had exploded all over her chest, mouth and chin."

“My first thought was to try and wipe it off her. Whenever I touched her, my hand stuck to her. It was thick and sticky. I ripped her shirt off of her because it was stuck to her shirt as well. I took her as quickly as I could to the hospital. I was a complete mess. She spent a week in the hospital and for three days she was in a coma. I don’t think I could speak to anybody without crying the entire time," Josh added.

On the way to the hospital, Scarlett’s mother, Amanda, shared her daughter was screaming throughout the 30-minute drive and she felt devastated, scared and heartbroken seeing her child in so much pain. Once they reached the hospital, the doctors decided not to give Scarlett a skin graft right away. Doctors recommended waiting until Scarlett turns 12 to see how her body grows and if the scars stretch with her. For now, Amanda applies creams and ointments to help the healing. Despite the treatments, the scars are noticeable and they sometimes leave Scarlett upset.

Josh was deeply shocked and is now warning others to get rid of the toy to prevent similar accidents. He never imagined that something could explode outside the microwave like that and seeing his daughter go through such pain was the most difficult experience of his life. He explained that the liquid inside the toy is like glue and when it explodes, it sticks to the skin, making it impossible to remove.

The company that makes the toy, Schylling Toys, has not yet given any response about the incident. However, their website has a warning that tells people not to heat, freeze or microwave the toy, as it could be dangerous.