CLAY COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18/Herald Leader) — A Kentucky mom is facing charges after a "hot water challenge" ended with a child needing to be hospitalized.
The story out of Clay County is popping up all over social media and papers across the nation.
Patricia Oliver shared photos on her Facebook page of her 11-year-old son being treated in a hospital burn unit. She said that her son was staying overnight with a friend when he woke up to the friend pouring boiling water on him, something that has been shown on YouTube and social media as the "hot water challenge."
The Herald Leader reports that the mother of the friend who poured the water is facing charges in connection with the incident. Angela Guth, 42, of Manchester, is accused of not seeking medical attention for the boy.
There is no word when Guth will be in court.
Last year, a little girl in Florida died after being dared to drink boiling water through a straw. An Indianapolis teen suffered severe burns after a friend poured boiling water on him.
A Lexington pediatrician is warning parents about the dangers of the latest social media challenge.
"With boiling water, you can have second or third degree burns. Which can be extremely dangerous for kids, meaning they have to go to the emergency room because of how severe the burns are. Sometimes kids even have to have skin graft surgeries," said Dr. Agata Toborek with the Lexington Clinic.
