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A social media trend that promised a “cool hack” for a popular stress toy instead sent a 9-year-old Illinois boy to a burn center with severe facial injuries. The challenge involves microwaving a NeeDoh “Nice Cube,” a brightly colored, gel-filled squishy toy, to make it softer and more pliable.
According to Chicago’s WGN, Caleb Chabolla tried the trend at home after hearing about it from friends who had seen it on TikTok. When he opened the microwave, the heated toy suddenly burst in his face, leaving him with painful burns and a swollen eye. He was rushed to a local hospital and then transferred to Loyola University Medical Center’s burn unit for specialized care.
Doctors say Caleb was lucky not to lose his eyesight, but his injuries were serious enough to keep him under close observation. His story has since become a focal point for pediatric burn specialists and children’s hospitals warning that what looks like a harmless experiment online can have lasting physical and emotional consequences.
How a Squishy Toy Turned Into an Emergency
NeeDoh toys are marketed as soft, stretchy sensory balls meant to be squeezed, pulled, and smushed to help with stress or focus. The manufacturer, Schylling, describes them as “super soft, super stretchy” and specifically designed for repeated squishing, not for heating, freezing, or any kind of cooking.
In Caleb’s case, the toy was used very differently. WGN reports that he placed a NeeDoh Nice Cube in the microwave to copy what he believed was a trending “hack” that would make it extra squishy. After heating it, he opened the microwave door and the toy suddenly ruptured, spraying hot gel across his face. His mother rushed him to a nearby hospital before he was transferred to Loyola’s Burn Center for more advanced treatment.
Loyola burn outreach coordinator Kelly McElligott told the station that the case fits into a broader pattern of children being injured by everyday items misused in the home. “Kids aren’t going to read labels,” she said, noting that about 30% of the burn center’s patients are children. She compared the incident to scald burns from hot noodles or spilled coffee, stressing that parents need to stay alert to both household hazards and online trends that encourage risky behavior.
Why Doctors Are Sounding the Alarm About This Trend
Caleb’s injury is not an isolated incident. Shriners Children’s, which runs pediatric burn centers in several U.S. states, issued a nationwide warning after treating young patients in Boston, Northern California, Texas, and Ohio for similar burns tied to microwaved stress toys. In a press release, burn surgeon Dr. Alice Fagin said the trend encourages kids to heat gel-filled toys to make them softer, but the toys can explode when removed from the microwave, spraying super-heated, sticky gel onto the skin.
Dr. Fagin explained that even 15 seconds in a microwave can raise the internal temperature of these toys above 200°F. Because the gel is thick and adhesive, it can cling to skin and cause deeper second- or third-degree burns than a quick splash of hot liquid would. “These toys were not meant to be heated and you’re playing a dangerous game if you try,” she said, emphasizing that the injuries are caused by misuse, not a defect in the product itself.
A separate incident in Utah, reported by CNN affiliate KSTU, involved 8-year-old Parker Tenney, who microwaved a NeeDoh ball for 30 seconds after seeing a similar idea on YouTube Shorts. The toy burst on his bare torso, leaving him with third-degree burns on his abdomen. He spent 18 days in the University of Utah Burn Center, underwent two skin graft surgeries, and faces up to two years of healing. His parents said they came forward because “almost everybody has a NeeDoh ball” and they want other families to understand the risks.
What Parents and Families Can Do Next
Pediatric specialists stress that the goal isn’t to ban every toy or every app, but to help children recognize that not everything they see online is safe to copy. Shriners Children’s urges parents to talk regularly with kids and teens about trends they’re seeing on TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms, and to make it clear that heating, cutting, or altering toys and household items can carry hidden dangers, even if videos make it look fun or harmless.
Doctors also suggest practical alternatives. If a child wants a squishier stress toy, Shriners recommends gently warming it under running warm water or softening it with their hands instead of using a microwave. More broadly, parents are encouraged to supervise younger children around microwaves and hot foods, watch for warning labels such as “do not heat or microwave,” and seek immediate medical care if a burn occurs, especially on the face, hands, or chest.
For Caleb, Parker, and other children injured by this trend, the road to recovery will take time, but their families hope sharing what happened will keep others safe. Their stories are a reminder that a few seconds in front of a microwave, prompted by a viral challenge, can change a child’s life. Open conversations, closer supervision, and a healthy skepticism about online “hacks” may be some of the most important protections parents can offer in a world where dangerous ideas can spread with a swipe.