The girl recalled being in “a lot of pain” during which she said she could “feel my skin coming off” as her parents watched on in horror as they waited for an ambulance
A 10-year-old girl suffered horrific burns to her face after copying a viral TikTok trend that encourages children to put squishy sensory toys in the microwave. The explosion has left her face badly burnt and blistered – now doctors have been forced to issue an urgent plea to parents about burns, microwaves and supervision. Little Violet told 7NEWS that she had intended to heat the stress-relieving toy to make it softer, but did not realise that meant the toy could also become very hot and very unstable. “If it (the toy) is really hard, you think… warm it up. So I went to the microwave and I put it in, and I was just waiting… and then I got it, and I was just squishing it,” she said.
She revealed that, when she took the toy out of the microwave, the “liquid was like at the bottom”. She then squeezed it, with the hot contents going “into a sort of ball” where “it burst onto my face.” Violet said she was left in “a lot of pain” and could “feel my skin coming off”.
Her dad admitted he was busy watching the FIFA World Cup when the incident unfolded, and had told her heating the toy up would make it more malleable. He said: “It was Sunday morning and I think Brazil were playing, and I felt a little bit guilty actually because I had made the comment that if it (the squishy) was heated up it might be a bit softer – but not thinking that Violet would put it in the microwave.”
He called for an ambulance while his wife ran his daughter’s head under a tap to try and quell the burns and to soothe her pain.
He said he called paramedics while his wife tried to soothe their daughter’s pain by holding her face under cold water. “I was trying to enjoy the soccer,’ he said. “It was Sunday morning and I think Brazil were playing, and I felt a little bit guilty actually because I had made the comment that if it (the squishy) was heated up it might be a bit softer – but not thinking that Violet would put it in the microwave. But Violet isn’t the only child to have suffered from awful burns after popping squishy toys in the microwave, with a slew of children in Australia, the US, and UK all suffering similar burns in similar circumstances. In fact, Violet wasn’t even the first child to be rushed to Gold Coast Hospital University this week after being left with burns from a heated up squishy. Queensland Children’s Hospital burns specialist and paediatric emergency medicine specialist Dr Veevek Thankey was clear on his advice: “First of all, toys should not be going into the microwave.” But, if they do, he told 7NEWS that parents should intervene right away with “first aid management as soon as the burns happen”. “Whichever body part that’s been affected by the burns run under cool running water for at least 20 minutes,” he said, adding a caveat: “Make sure that no ice actually put onto the burn because that will actually make the burn worse”.
The Needoh toy, made by toy maker Schylling, comes with a warning on its packaging that says: “Do not leave in hot car or direct sun; contents may become hot. Do NOT heat, freeze or microwave; may cause personal injuries.” Similar incidents involving the toys have happened overseas, notably in the US and UK, with the trend causing second and even third-degree burns in children around the world. US boy Caleb, aged nine, had heated a Needoh cube which exploded into his hand and face when he opened the microwave door, while Bristol girl Bella, 10, suffered “traumatising” burns when she copied the trend. Bella had been playing at a friend’s house when they copied the viral trend. Her mum, Charlotte, told the BBC: “When she came in, I could see straight away her face was bright red, it looked like she’d been whacked in the face and I could see the scald mark and there was skin missing and blisters. Because of the silicone outer layer, they couldn’t feel how hot it was inside, so her friend squeezed it, which is when it burst on to both of them.” “She was in absolute tears.” The Mirror has approached TikTok for comment. A spokesperson from the social media platform told the BBC, however, that any content on its platform that promotes dangerous behaviour that may lead to serious injury is a violation of the company’s community guidelines and will be removed.
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents policy officer Rhiain Reynolds added in a warning to children and parents that “misuse of household appliances can have devastating consequences”. “RoSPA urges parents and carers to talk to children about the dangers of copying online trends and to reinforce that microwaves are not toys,” she said. As for Violet, she has since made significant progress in her recovery. She did not suffer any eye damage as a result of her burns, and the burns themselves were rather superficial and will not leave her with any scarring once she is fully healed.
