A fifth-grader from Massachusetts decided to do homemade slime as a past time and sometimes a business as she sold some of her creations to her friends. The latest DIY slime project, however, was not successful because she suffered severe burns.
The girl, identified as Kathleen, made the homemade slime projects before without any problem. Her latest project did not turn out as smooth as before as she suffered both second- and third-degree burns. Her mother, Siobhan Quinn, said her daughter started making the project when it gained popularity on social media.
The ingredients needed for homemade slime include Elmer's Glue, cleaner borax, water and sometimes food coloring. Quinn said she supported her daughter's new hobby because she purchased the ingredients and when her daughter ran out, she went to get some again. Quinn added, "She was being a little scientist ... [Now] I feel terrible. I feel like the worst mother."
Quinn added her daughter cried in pain and told them her hands hurt and when they checked it, her hands had blisters all over, ABC News reported. They took her to South Shore Hospital and doctors said the burns were due to prolonged exposure to borax.
In a statement to FOX News, the child said she felt her hands became hot and tingly. Kathleen missed a week in school because of her injuries. She advised other kids not to make it anymore.
Dr. Megan Hannon, a physician at the hospital where they took Kathleen, said parents should read the packages and know more about what they are mixing to things because they could be dangerous. Another expert, a chief scientific officer named James Dickerson, said there are dangers in using borax since it is only used as a household cleaner or an additive for laundry. He said it should not be used for other purposes particularly for homemade slime.
