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A GoFundMe created for Mason Dark has raised over $18,000 after the 16-year-old North Carolina boy was critically scarred after sustaining third-degree burns during a TikTok challenge that went horribly wrong. Mason Dark, from Wake Forest, North Carolina, became the latest casualty of the numerous dangerous TikTok challenges circulating online.
These trends compel social media users to participate in reckless games in a misguided attempt to go viral. Earlier this month, 13-year-old Jacob Stevens in Ohio died after ingesting Benadryl while participating in a TikTok challenge with some friends at home.
Mere weeks after the incident, on Sunday, April 23, 2023, Mason Dark, alongside some friends, participated in another dangerous TikTok challenge where social media users created makeshift flamethrowers using aerosols.
According to the teen’s mother, he was reportedly using a spray paint can and a lighter when the aerosol exploded, covering the 16-year-old in flames. The teen was reportedly transported to the UNC Burn Center in Chapel Hill, where he remains in critical condition after sustaining second and third-degree burns to 80% of his body.
Funds raised for Mason Dark will go toward paying his medical bills as TikTok challenge leaves him with severe burns
In the wake of the incident, Heidi Simpson, Mason Dark’s grandma, launched a GoFundMe to help the family cover medical bills and other expenses as they deal with the tragic situation. As of Friday, the fundraiser had raised over $18,000 of its $25,000 goal.
On the fundraiser page, Mason's mom, Holli Dark, penned a note detailing the incident that hospitalized her son. Holli claimed that her son and other teenagers were attempting to create a makeshift flamethrower using a spray paint can and a lighter while taking part in a TikTok challenge when the weapon exploded and consumed her kid in flames.
Mason reportedly jumped into the river after peeling off his shirt to extinguish the flames, which supposedly severely infected the burns as the water was unclean.
Holli Dark, in a fundraiser note, wrote:
“He jumped into a river to extinguish the flames. The risk of infection from the river water is high, on top of having 2nd and 3rd-degree burns. We are thankful to be at the UNC Burn Center in Chapel Hill. It is one of the top in the nation.”
The fundraiser said that Mason Dark, who "is in an incredible amount of pain and is sedated," will have to undergo multiple surgeries on his road to recovery. The page reads:
“I am asking for prayers for the family, Holli, Julian and brother Austin (13) and any help with their needs: medical bills, gas, food, and housing during this time. Both Holli and Julian are self-employed and will try and balance some amount of work.”
As per WRAL, on Wednesday, Mason went into surgery to get skin grafts after sustaining severe burns to his body from a TikTok. Mason's mother told the outlet that her son was unrecognizable after the incident but has seen a significant difference since he came out of the surgery following a skin graft. Dark said:
“The way he looked when those kids saw him when he first came in, to what he looks like now, it’s 100 times different."
The teen, who plays football for his high school and runs the track, is expected to spend the next six months at the UNC burn center.
