A Massachusetts mother is claiming that she, her husband, and their 8-year-old daughter got sick after attempting to prepare food using an Easy-Bake Oven.
On Monday, a TikTok user named Stephanie, who goes by steph_murphy on the app, posted a video explaining how the family of three ended up hospitalized over the weekend. In the video, which is just over 5 minutes long, the woman says that the three “were all admitted to the ER on Saturday because of an Easy-Bake Oven.”
“Hasbro takes all product safety concerns seriously. Hasbro’s Easy Bake Ovens meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards. If consumers have any questions or concerns about their products, we encourage them to contact Hasbro Consumer Care at 1-800-255-5516,” Hasbro, the toy’s manufacturer, said in a statement to PEOPLE.
According to Stephanie, she was in another room of the home when her husband Ryan and their daughter Nora removed the brand-new toy from its packaging and began to make a two-layer red velvet cake.
As soon as they plugged in the oven, Nora allegedly thought there was a strange smell, but Ryan assumed it was just because the oven was made from plastic. However, Stephanie noted that Ryan had previously lost his ability to properly taste and smell “for three years” due to COVID.
Since the dessert had to be baked one layer at a time, according to Stephanie, Ryan and Nora joined her in their living room to play a game.
Approximately 16-20 minutes later, Ryan and Nora went to remove the first portion of the cake from the Easy-Bake Oven “and realized it still was not cooked fully,” so they gave up on baking altogether and unplugged the oven. “Nobody ate it, they threw it away,” Stephanie said. Soon after, Nora began “complaining of chest pains.” At this point, “about 45 minutes” had passed since the father and daughter initially plugged in the product.
Because the family was already relaxed, sitting in their living room, Stephanie suggested they just monitor the situation and “see what happens.” Once the child allegedly said she was “having trouble breathing,” her mother used a pulse oximeter to check her vital signs.
She says Nora’s reading came back as “89,” which is “very low,” so the family headed to the ER. While en route, Ryan also began complaining of “difficulty breathing,” said Stephanie. The three were eventually seen and doctors allegedly “assumed it was carbon monoxide poisoning” since the family’s symptoms all happened within an hour.