Warning: This article contains detail of injury and images that some may find disturbing
A mum has issued a heartbreaking plea after her child was scarred while attempting a TikTok challenge.
Last month, Emma-Louise Owen, 34, was forced to rush her daughter to hospital where she was treated for burns.
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The girl, aged 12, had been trying to complete a food-based trend called ‘the Tanghulu challenge’ when disaster struck.
Tanghulu is a candied fruit snack originating in northern China.
The delicacy is traditionally made using red hawthorn berries dipped in sugar syrup and served on skewers.
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However, Tikok has been set alight with creators attempting to recreate recipes - and the results have apparently led to dangerous results.
After seeing videos of the snack being made, it’s said Emma’s daughter Sophie came to her and asked if she could try it out herself.
“She approached me on a Friday night and asked if she could do this Tanghulu trend,” she claimed.
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“I said ‘no, you're not using the oven’. But she said there's this video which shows you can do it in the microwave.”
Due to being distracted by a phone call, Emma agreed that her daughter could attempt to recreate the sweet treat in the microwave as long as she ‘stayed safe’.
However, moments later, the Cardiff native apparently heard her child screaming.
“She'd put the sugar and the water in a plastic microwavable jug for two minutes and as she'd taken it out, the syrup had burnt through the bottom of the jug which dripped onto her hand and her foot,” she recounted.
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"There was a trail of syrup on the floor in the kitchen. She was screaming 'burn, burn, burn' and I said 'put your hand in cold water'. Then a massive blister formed on her foot instantly.
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"I grabbed a bucket and put her foot in there with cold water while running her hand under the tap.”
Emma claimed that her husband soon arrived on the scene and explained that the boiling mixture of sugar and water was usually ‘used in prisons to scar people.’
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As per a report from the Department of Plastic Surgery, boiled sugar solution is referred to as ‘Prison Napalm’ and causes more severe burns than those utilising plain boiling water.
After Sophie’s foot began to ‘balloon’, Emma rang 111 and rushed to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
During her time on the burns unit, the child was seen by doctors who worked to lance blisters on her hands and feet.
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Moreover, the mother claimed practitioners said her kid’s injuries ‘could’ve been a lot worse’.
“Because we acted so quickly and kept it under water for so long, we sort of killed off the burns,” she explained.
"It could've easily splatted in her face and she would've had scars all over her face or been blinded. She has scars now from this.”
Following the incident, Emma has warned other parents about allowing their offspring to participate in online trends.
“There's no disclaimers on social media about this challenge such as being careful of splats and making sure there's an adult with you.
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"Kids just absorb everything from online. This could've been so much worse.
“I wanted to let other parents know the dangers of this. I don't want this happening to another person's child.
"You can't keep an eye on your kids 24/7 but just stay aware of what they're doing."
According to TikTok’s community guidelines, they are ‘deeply committed’ to ensuring the platform is a ‘safe and positive experience for people under the age of 18’.
Legislation stipulates you must be ‘13 years and older’ to have an account and anyone under the age of 18 must have the approval of a parent or guardian.
Tyla has reached out to representatives of TikTok for further comment.
Topics: Real Life, Health, Social Media, TikTok
Ella Scott