MUM'S HORROR
My son, 12, turned into a ‘human fireball’ when viral challenge went wrong – he’s scarred for life
Scroll down to find out how best to treat a burn
A MUM-of-two has revealed how her son became a human fireball after a dangerous 'TikTok challenge' went wrong.
In August last year, Tiffany Roper, 35, from Arizona, US, woke up to her son, Corey, 12, screaming and on fire.
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He had attempted to create a fireball using 71 per cent rubbing alcohol on camera while filming.
Corey suffered second and third-degree burns all over his body and endured nine surgeries.
The so-called ‘Tiktok fireball challenge’ had been trending on the social media channel and has caused other children to be severely burned.
Thankfully, Corey is recovering well but is scarred for life.
Now, Tiffany wants to encourage other parents to talk to their children about the harm that challenges like these can cause.
She’d also like for every video to be reviewed by social media owners before being allowed to be posted.
The IT worker says: “I've always tried so hard to protect my kids from any danger, and I still wonder what I could have done to avoid Corey getting hurt that night.
“Challenges like these are targeted at children because they don’t understand the repercussions.
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“We have to protect them. One child being hurt is one too many.”
In August 2023, just 10 days after his 12th birthday, Tiffany woke up to a blood-curdling scream at 5am.
She says: “I jumped out of bed in a panic and raced into his bedroom.
“He was on fire. His polyester T-shirt had completely melted onto his skin.”
Hysterical, Tiffany sprayed Corey down with cold water from the hose in the kitchen.
Hearing the commotion, her daughter, Lette, 14, woke up and wrapped Corey in wet towels, while Tiffany called for an ambulance.
Tiffany says: “I had no idea what had happened until police and paramedics arrived.
“They told me Corey had held a bottle of rubbing alcohol in one hand and lit it with the other, not realising how quickly rubbing alcohol burns off.
“Corey was in extreme shock but kept saying: ‘I saw it in a video’.”
Paramedics rushed Corey to Banner Diamond Children’s Medical Center in Arizona.
There, he was admitted to the ICU and placed in an induced coma.
He was also put on a ventilator to help him breathe.
Because of social media, my baby is scarred for life
Tiffany Roper
After assessing Corey’s burns, doctors confirmed he’d suffered second and third-degree burns to 45 to 50 per cent of his body, including his face, neck, chin, ears, back, arms and left leg.
Tiffany says: “I looked up the video on my phone and saw hundreds of them about children who had attempted similar stunts as part of a TikTok challenge, many of which had gone wrong.
“I was beside myself.”
In the hospital, Corey underwent four debridement surgeries, where surgeons scrubbed and cleaned his wounds.
He then endured five skin graft surgeries, where the skin was taken from his thigh and placed onto his burns.
After two weeks, Corey was brought around from his coma. When he woke up, he had to relearn how to walk.
In September, after a month in hospital, Corey - who loves playing outside and being active - was discharged.
But his recovery wasn’t over, and he had to endure weekly physiotherapy sessions to improve his mobility.
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Tiffany says: “Corey is doing great and is back at school.
“He is due to begin laser therapy on his arms this month.”
She continues: “I’ve spoken to him about the challenge, but he can’t remember what happened.
“I want other parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of challenges like these and for people to report anything online that they think is inappropriate.
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“Because of social media, my baby is scarred for life.
“I’m just so grateful that he’s alive.”
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Treating burns
TO treat a burn, follow the first aid advice below:
To treat a burn, follow the first aid advice below:
- Immediately get the person away from the heat source to stop the burning
- Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes – don’t use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances such as butter
- Remove any clothing or jewellery that’s near the burnt area of skin, including babies’ nappies – but don’t move anything that’s stuck to the skin
- Make sure the person keeps warm – by using a blanket, for example, but take care not to rub it against the burnt area
- Cover the burn by placing a layer of cling film over it – a clean plastic bag could also be used for burns on your hand
- Use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat any pain
- If the face or eyes are burnt, sit up as much as possible, rather than lying down – this helps to reduce swelling
Source: NHS