Mason Dark.Photo: GoFundMe

Mason Dark - 16-Year-Old Boy Is ‘Unrecognizable’ After Getting Badly Burned Doing TikTok Challenge, Says Mom

A North Carolina teen is “unrecognizable” after burning a majority of his body while participating in an alleged social media challenge, according to his mom.

The teen suffered second and third-degree burns as a result of the accident, according to his mother’s statement. About 75% of his body was burned.

The teen underwent “the first of many surgeries” on Apr. 26, where he received skin grafts as part of his recovery process, his mother said in her statement.

“Mason has a long road ahead of him,” Holli said on the GoFundMe page. “Please pray for his recovery.”

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Holli believes a social media trend led her son to try the dangerous experiment.

PEOPLE cannot confirm that this challenge has recently circulated on TikTok. The social media company did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

“I want to let the parents know, you’ve got to be careful with these things,” she told the outlet. “More and more things come out [online] and they want to try it.”

Holli went on to encourage kids not to try experiments, especially dangerous ones, that they may come across on the internet.

source: people.com