Teenager Severely Burned in TikTok Experiment Gone Wrong

A twelve-year-old boy from Texas was hospitalized with serious burns following a dangerous experiment inspired by a video on TikTok. Caden Ballard and his older brother attempted a stunt involving rubbing alcohol and fire, which went terribly wrong.

The boys had successfully completed the initial part of the experiment, but after the flames appeared to extinguish, Caden was instructed to dispose of the bottle. As he reached for it, his shirt suddenly ignited. The boys had unknowingly used isopropyl alcohol, which can produce an invisible flame. This resulted in second-to-third-degree burns covering 11 percent of Caden's body.

Caden's mother was alerted to the emergency by a friend who heard the boys call 911. She described the scene as finding Caden with burns covering his face, chest, arms, and stomach, appearing as if his skin had melted away. She acknowledged that she never anticipated such a dangerous outcome from the type of content her children typically consumed on the platform.

Caden's brother acted quickly, removing his brother's burning shirt and instructing him to stop, drop, and roll to extinguish the flames. Caden was then transported to a burns unit in Dallas and is being transferred to a children's burn unit in Galveston. He has already undergone surgery and faces a lengthy recovery period.

A GoFundMe page has been established to assist the family with the financial burdens associated with Caden's treatment. The page highlights the emotional and financial strain the family is experiencing due to extended hospital stays, time away from work, travel expenses, and accumulating bills. The page has already raised a significant amount of money.

Caden's mother is now urging parents to discuss the potential dangers of recreating online stunts with their children. She expressed gratitude that the situation, while serious, was not even worse.