Alabama Teen Warns Against Viral Trend After Suffering Burns

An Alabama teenager and his family are alerting others about the dangers of a viral social media trend after he experienced third-degree burns from a microwaved sensory toy. Eli Blackmon, now 13, was only 11 years old when he encountered TikTok videos demonstrating how to soften NeeDoh squishy toys by heating them in the microwave.

The toy, described on its company website as a ‘gratifying super soft, super stretchy dough filled groovy glob,’ is similar to a stress ball. Eli recounted, ‘I thought it was harmless because an adult tried it and nothing happened.’ However, upon squeezing the heated toy, it exploded, and the hot gel resulted in significant burns on his neck, chest, and hands.

Initially, Eli’s mother, Fallon Blackmon, was in shock and panic because her son was screaming but not communicating clearly. She was unaware of the trend and had no preventive conversation with Eli about it. ‘At first I was just feeling frantic because I wasn’t sure what was going on,’ Fallon shared. Despite her husband’s fire medic experience and her own background in emergency call-taking, panic set in.

Eli required weekly visits to the burn unit for four months, where doctors removed dead skin and provided wound care without any pain medication or numbing agents, making the follow-up appointments notably painful. The potential risk to Eli’s airway made skin grafts off the table, despite the severity of the burn.

The injury also severely disrupted Eli’s jiu-jitsu training, keeping him out of competitions for months. In addition to dealing with scarring, Eli developed a rash from bandages that led to a staph infection and lower GI complications caused by fluids being pulled from his body.

The family faced substantial hospital bills, medical expenses, and the cost of wound care supplies during the recovery period. Now, they aim to prevent similar incidents. Fallon Blackmon urges parents to discuss potential dangers with their children, even if they aren’t active on social media, as they could hear about such trends from peers.

Currently, Eli manages his scar daily through stretching, moisturizing, and massage to preserve neck mobility. He notes that his confidence remains intact, supported by friends and family who reassure him that his scar looks cool. Eli advises kids, ‘Don’t do it! It’s stupid! It causes so much pain and other problems.’ Eli emphasized avoiding social media trends altogether and speaking with parents about them.

TikTok’s spokesperson previously confirmed that any content inciting dangerous behavior and potential injury violates their Community Guidelines, leading to immediate removal upon detection. This story aims to raise awareness and prevent other families from enduring similar traumatic experiences.