The family of a 10-year-old Australian girl who sustained severe facial burns after a gel-filled stress toy exploded has revealed they were targeted by online trolls after speaking publicly about the incident.
Violet Zerbst suffered painful burns and blistering when a replica NeeDoh-style squishy toy burst after she heated it in a microwave for 30 seconds.
The young girl had hoped warming the toy would make it softer, but the gel inside exploded as she squeezed it, splattering her face.
Following widespread media coverage of the incident, Violet’s family said they were shocked by the volume of abusive comments directed at both the child and her parents.
“There’s thousands of comments and they’re just brutal,” Violet’s father, Jody Zerbst, told news.com.au.
“They’re ranging from… how stupid the parents are to like, ‘Oh, that kid deserves to burn. How dumb can you be’ and just really twisted, sort of mean stuff.”
Many social media users blamed Mr Zerbst and his wife, Kate, accusing them of failing to properly supervise their daughter.
“[It is] parental neglect not teaching kids about hot liquids and the dangers,” one user wrote, while another said it is “common sense” not to use a microwave.
Despite the criticism, Mr Zerbst said the family chose to respond with humour rather than anger.
“All Violet’s older sisters just thought it was hilarious… One of my daughters got on and said, ‘Throw him in jail!'” he added.
Mr Zerbst, who has a background in science teaching, said sharing Violet’s experience had helped educate many Australians about the potential dangers of the popular toys.
“A lot of people were sharing with their partners or other people,” he said.
The incident occurred while Violet was playing with a replica version of Schylling’s NeeDoh stress ball, a cube-shaped toy containing a gel-like substance. Unaware that heating the toy could make it unstable, she placed it in the microwave before squeezing it.
While genuine NeeDoh toys manufactured by Schylling carry warning labels on their packaging, some imitation versions sold online do not include clear safety instructions.
“I went to the microwave and I put it in and I was just waiting… and then I got it and I was just squishing it,” Violet told 7News on Tuesday.
“The liquid was like at the bottom and then it went into a sort of ball and it burst onto my face.”
The 10-year-old described the ordeal as extremely painful.
“I was in a lot of pain” and could “feel her skin coming off,” she said.
Similar incidents involving the gel-filled toys have previously been reported in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Mr Zerbst said he had been watching the FIFA World Cup when he heard his daughter’s screams. He immediately called paramedics while his wife held Violet’s face under cold running water in an effort to ease the burns.
“I was trying to enjoy the soccer,” he said.
“It was Sunday morning and I think Brazil were playing and I felt a little bit guilty actually because I had made the comment that if it was heated up it might be a bit softer – but not thinking that Violet would put it in the microwave.
“It’s just quite horrific for a parent to have to hear their child screaming and know that they’d burnt themselves.”
Recalling the extent of the injuries, Mr Zerbst said sections of Violet’s facial skin peeled away following the explosion.
“The skin sort of all peeled off and, as it was in her mouth, she was trying to spit this stuff out,” he said.
Paramedics treated Violet at home before transporting her to Gold Coast University Hospital, where she remained for a week.
“Everybody from the ambos, to the nurses… they were just amazing and compassionate and expert and thorough,” he said.
“I just thought, my god we are so privileged here.”
Doctors confirmed Violet did not suffer any damage to her eyes, and her burns were classified as superficial, with no permanent scarring expected.
NeeDoh-style stress toys have experienced a surge in popularity in recent months, driven largely by viral social media trends.
Hurley Burley Toys’ Olivia Van Der Neer said demand had soared as the toys gained traction on TikTok.
“We have upwards of 30 calls a day and new ones are almost impossible to track down,” she said.
Although the toys have been available for several years, Ms Van Der Neer said interest has skyrocketed, with increasing numbers of children searching for them.
The growing demand has also fuelled the sale of counterfeit versions online, raising concerns that poorly regulated imitation products may pose greater safety risks than the original branded toys.
