PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Pittsburgh-area mother says she just wants to go back in time and not watch a viral TikTok video that ended with her 9-year-old in the hospital with severe burns.
“I’ve had a lot of mom guilt for even thinking this was a good idea,” mom Christina Blackstone said after what started as a fun bonding activity to make “candy grapes” ended with a trip to West Penn Hospital.
What are candy grapes?
A trendy video is popping up on TikTok, showing how to make “candy grapes.” Jolly Rancher-coated candy grapes are popular, but they’re suddenly sending people to the ER with severe burns.
Nine-year-old Caidan Blackstone from Uniontown still can’t use his hand.
“I went in complete shock the moment it happened,” Christina Blackstone said. “I heard him scream and I said, ‘Oh no, this is terrible.'”
Christina got the idea from a viral TikTok trend, watching step-by-step videos that looked simple enough.
“It was supposed to be a fun afternoon activity, it was raining outside,” she said.
But that bowl of molten Jolly Ranchers came out of the microwave and somehow spilled onto Caidan’s hand as he walked with it to the counter. The candy immediately started to harden.
“My instinct was ‘just pull it off, Christina.’ So I just grabbed him, and I was yanking it off. I think I was tearing skin,” Christina Blackstone said.
The burns from this TikTok idea can require skin grafting and cause nerve damage.
Doctor speaks out against TikTok trend
Dr. Ariel Aballay, the director of West Penn Hospital’s burn unit, said he’s speaking out before it gets any worse.
“We have seen in the last three weeks four patients — two adults, two children,” Aballay said.
They were patients with serious burns on their feet and hands, both young and old. He said Christina did the right thing pulling the hardening candy off her son’s hand. If she had left it on his hand, it would have burned even deeper into the skin. Aballay said he believes some parents simply don’t know the burn risk of this molten candy.
“Molten candy is 350 degrees Fahrenheit. And if you think about it, boiling water is 212, so once you get that temperature, it doesn’t take a long time to create a burn,” said Aballay.
“The doctor at West Penn told me if I would not have gotten that off sooner, it would have resulted in a third-degree burn and it would have gone into his nerves. He wouldn’t have feelings in his hands at that point,” said Christina.
After nearly three weeks of hand exercise rehab, Caidan still struggles to use his hand.
“They told us practice exercises, squeeze the stress ball, do the finger touches,” Christina said.
Thankfully, Caidan’s skin is growing back, along with his fingernails. Christina, however, still feels terrible.
“Something that was gonna be fun and a memory for the kids ended up resulting in second-degree burns,” she said.
What do you do if your child gets burned?
Aballay wants all caregivers to remember this: If you’re dealing with a burn, ice is not your friend. Immediately after a burn, put it in lukewarm water. Ice will make it worse. You just need to cool down the temperature of the skin.
The moment a parent sees a blister, you’re already talking about a second-degree burn so you should take action. Aballay added that you shouldn’t think you’re in the clear if it doesn’t hurt or blister because it can be a third-degree burn with nerve damage.
