Mum shares horrific photo of son's second degree burns from the 'hot water challenge'
This terrifying challenge is becoming more popular at sleepovers
A mum has taken to social media to offer a stark warning to other parents about the horrific consequences of a new trend dubbed the 'hot water challenge'.
Mum-of-eight Nicohle Smolarski was left shocked at the state of her 12-year-old son when he returned from a sleepover.
Her son, Cole, told her that his friends had poured cups of boiling water on his neck as he slept during the sleepover.
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'Within minutes you could see his skin just falling right off,' she told Fox 29 news. '[It] was just bubbling and was king of hanging off.'
When quizzed her son's friends initially denied knowing what had happened, before they finally cracked and confessed that it was the hot water challenge.
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Nicohle, from Pennsylvania, explained in the Facebook post that her son had been taking part in a dangerous new craze sweeping YouTube where young kids challenge each other to endure burning hot water - often while the unwitting victim was asleep.
The mum wanted to share this with everyone - not just parents - writing: 'This the result of the hot water challenge that 2 of his so called friends did while he slept .'
'He has second degree burns on his neck and lower back .. please help share this post so all parents know that this is what some kids are up to nowadays!!'
Nicohle said her son was not only hospitalised, he was also out of school for a week.
Talking to Kidspot.com she went on to say how she hoped that these graphic pictures served as a warning to other parents to be more vigilant.
She said: 'Please be sure that they watch what their kids are watching on the internet. This is crazy with all these challenges. This is dangerous. Thank God he didn't turn around cause it could have been his face.'
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