A tragic incident involving a popular squishy toy has left a 7-year-old girl from Festus, Missouri, in a medically induced coma after she suffered severe burns.Newsweek+7People.com+7Yahoo Lifestyle+7
On October 1, 2024, Scarlett Selby attempted to replicate a trend she had seen on TikTok and YouTube, which involved freezing and then microwaving a NeeDoh squishy toy to make it more malleable. After freezing the toy overnight, she microwaved it the next day. Upon removing it from the microwave, the toy exploded, spraying hot, sticky gel onto her face and chest, resulting in second- and third-degree burns. Yahoo+11Daily Express US+11www.ndtv.com+11www.ndtv.com+4The Express Tribune+4New York Post+4
Scarlett’s father, Josh Selby, was present during the incident. He described hearing a “blood-curdling scream” and rushing to help his daughter, who was covered in the toy’s molten contents. The substance was so adhesive that it stuck to both her skin and clothing, making it difficult to remove. Scarlett was immediately taken to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where doctors placed her in a medically induced coma to prevent airway swelling due to the burns. People.com+10UNILAD+10Yahoo Lifestyle+10The Express Tribune+6www.ndtv.com+6People.com+6New York Post+3The Express Tribune+3www.ndtv.com+3
The toy’s manufacturer, Schylling, has issued warnings against heating, freezing, or microwaving their NeeDoh products, stating that such misuse can cause personal injury. In response to incidents like Scarlett’s, the company has partnered with social media platforms to remove content promoting unsafe use of their products and has updated packaging and website warnings to emphasize proper usage. Yahoo+12Newsweek+12People.com+12Newsweek+3People.com+3People.com+3
Scarlett’s parents are now advocating for increased awareness of the dangers associated with viral social media challenges and the misuse of toys. They urge other parents to supervise their children’s online activities and to educate them about the risks of imitating unsafe online trends. As Scarlett continues her recovery, her family hopes that sharing her story will prevent similar accidents in the future
