Child Recovers from Burns After Toy Incident

A nine-year-old boy is on the mend after receiving second-degree burns to his face and hands due to a widely used toy.

Caleb Chavola, a fourth-grader from Illinois, was hurt after microwaving a needle to soften it for use with a toy called NeeDoh, which is marketed as a sensory ball that’s squishy and stretchy.

After warming the toy, Caleb squeezed it, and it accidentally hit him in the face.

“I heard my son screaming and saw him running towards the bathroom, yelling, ‘Burn, burn,'” recalled his mother, Whitney Grubb.

She found his face covered in a thick gel, with bright red skin underneath. Initially, she tried to wash it off, but the pain was too much, leading her to take him to the emergency room.

Caleb was later taken by ambulance to the Loyola Burn Center, where he spent the night. At the hospital, doctors had to clean the burn wounds by removing damaged skin and debris.

“His eyes were so swollen they closed, so we took him to an eye doctor to make sure everything was alright,” Grubb said.

Medical staff revealed they had treated several other children for similar burns caused by NeeDohs, a situation linked to a viral trend on social media.

Caleb had learned about using the toy in the microwave from a friend at school, Grubb noted.

After two weeks of recovery and routine cleaning of his wounds, Caleb was able to return to school on Wednesday.

“His face is healing pretty well,” Grubb mentioned. “There are still some areas that need attention, but overall, it’s looking a lot better.”

He will need to use Vitamin E lotion and sunscreen to protect his skin during the healing process.

“Right now, he’s just happy to be back at school and see his friends,” she added, expressing her relief.

Grubb intends to raise awareness among parents about the risks associated with heating toys like NeeDoh.

“It’s tough to monitor every single thing kids do. They tend to experiment without recognizing the potential dangers,” she said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the manufacturer of NeeDoh for comments regarding the incident.