Caleb Chabolla, a 9-year-old boy from Chicago, Illinois, is recovering at home after suffering second-degree burns to his face and hands while attempting a dangerous social media trend.
He has become the fourth child treated at a local hospital for injuries tied to the same viral behavior.
Caleb was injured on the morning of January 20 while getting ready for school. According to a news release from Loyola Medicine, the child attempted to microwave a NeeDoh Nice Cube, a gel-filled sensory toy, after learning about the trend from a friend.
What followed left him with half of his face severely inflamed and potentially lifelong scarring.
A 9-year-old boy suffered grave burns to his hands and face after attempting a dangerous social media challenge
Image credits: Loyola Medicine
Whitney Grubb, Caleb’s mother, recounted how she was in the garage warming up her car when she heard the microwave turn on. Believing her son was heating up breakfast before school, she thought nothing of it.
That assumption was dismantled seconds later.
“After hearing what she described as a blood-curdling scream, she knew something was wrong,” Loyola Medicine said in its release.
Image credits: rocco_c_
When Caleb opened the microwave door, the NeeDoh Nice Cube, described by the hospital as being “filled with gelatinous material,” exploded. The heated substance struck his face and hands.
Image credits: Loyola Medicine
Grubb attempted to rinse the material off her son in the shower, but it would not come off. She rushed him to the emergency room, where doctors determined his injuries were serious enough to require transfer to Loyola Medicine’s Burn Center.
Caleb also required evaluation by an ophthalmologist after one of his eyes swelled shut. Doctors later confirmed his vision was not impacted.
Grubb later confirmed the severity of the burns in an interview with CBS News.
Caleb is far from the only child being left with severe burns after falling for the NeeDooh Nice Cube challenge
The NeeDoh Nice Cube is marketed as a stress-relief toy and is described on the manufacturer’s website as a “sensory squish” designed for “stretching, smushing, squeezing, and soothing.”
The same page includes a clear safety warning: “Do NOT heat, freeze, or microwave, may cause personal injury.”
Image credits: Loyola Medicine
Hospital officials stressed that his case is not isolated. McElligott, a representative from the burn center, confirmed Caleb is the fourth child treated at the facility because of the exact same trend.
“A child who heated it up in the microwave, then put her finger on it and her finger went through, and it burned her finger,” McElligott told local media.
Image credits: InsideEdition
In March 2025, Scarlett Selby, a then 7-year-old girl from Festus, Missouri, was left in a coma and with severe burns after microwaving the toy.
At the time, the cube’s parent company, Schylling, said it had partnered with TikTok to remove content containing NeeDoh product misuse.
“[Caleb] is very lucky he didn’t sustain greater injuries,” said Paula Petersen, APN, an advanced practice nurse at Loyola’s Burn Center.
“These trends can be extremely dangerous for young people who are less likely to consider or unable to understand the serious consequences.”
Doctors confirmed that Caleb is now recovering at home and is expected to return to school later this week.
Netizens debated where responsibility for the accident lay, pointing to the parents, the company, or social media
Image credits: nbcchicago
McElligott added that roughly 30 percent of patients treated at the burn center are children and warned that many injuries stem from everyday household items rather than obvious hazards.
“I think it’s every day common things in the home that are burning these kids and we want to make sure that parents should be diligent about what’s in their house,” she said.
Image credits: nbcchicago
She pointed to examples such as hot ramen noodles spilling out of microwaves, young children pulling hot coffee off counters, and toys being misused, among others.
Online, debate quickly centered on whether Caleb’s family would attempt to sue and, if so, whether they would succeed.
Image credits: Schylling
Commenters were also sharply divided over where responsibility lies – the parents, the toy manufacturer, or social media platforms that allow dangerous trends to circulate unchecked among children.
Image credits: scholarabella
“I’m sure they’ll try to sue, but will definitely lose. The company did their part. It’s not their fault your kid went against the warning. Stop blaming others for your poor parenting,” one commenter wrote.
“Will probably sue and win. It’s the way in America,” another countered. “God forbid you actually supervise and take responsibility for your own negligence.”
“Just terrible for this young boy. Parents shouldn’t let kids under 18 on the internet without parents watching. Social media should be avoided by everyone, young and old,” a reader said.
“The real issue is that low-lives are on social media coming up with this stuff to harm kids. No kid comes up with this stuff,” another argued.
“People need to be held accountable.” Netizens shared their thoughts about the case on social media
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