Portland, Oregon 13-year-old Destini Crane was severely burned after she attempted to recreate a video she saw on TikTok, and she’s still in the hospital.
ABC News reports that Crane suffered severe burns on her neck and right arm, and her family believes that a TikTok video is what led to her injuries. She has undergone three skin-grafting surgeries and has been in the hospital for over two weeks, but right now she’s unable to talk and can’t explain to her parents what happened. Her parents said that some of the items she left in the bathroom where she suffered the burns, and speaking with her friends were what led them to believe a TikTok video was at fault. In addition, they said the 13-year-old “lived for TikToks.”
The video she attempted to copy, her mother explained, featured someone drawing a shape on a mirror using a flammable liquid before setting it alight. She brought a candle into the bathroom at her family’s home alongside some rubbing alcohol and a lighter. It is believed that the combination sparked an explosion since the bathroom was not well-ventilated. When her phone was recovered at the scene, TikTok was still open and recording.
"I was in the living room talking with my mom, and I heard her scream my name," her mother Kimberly Crane said. "So I went and opened the bathroom door and everything was on fire. Destini was on fire. Things in the bathroom were on fire." It could be months until she recovers from her injuries, and she will undergo physical therapy to help keep her mobility.
"I know that when she wakes up and fully understands, she's probably going to freak out," her mother added. "But honestly I think that she's strong enough to get through it." She is sharing the story of what happened to her daughter to warn other parents about what their children are seeing on social media and the internet.
TikTok has previously discouraged users from producing content “that encourages or replicates dangerous challenges that might lead to injury.” The minimum age for the app is 13.
