WASHINGTON, Feb 21, (Agencies): A mother from Massachusetts is asserting that she, along with her husband and 8-year-old daughter, fell ill after attempting to use an Easy-Bake Oven to prepare food. On Monday, a TikTok user named Stephanie, known as steph_murphy on the app, shared a video detailing how the family ended up hospitalized over the weekend.

In the slightly over 5-minute video, Stephanie explained that the three of them were admitted to the ER on Saturday due to an incident involving an Easy-Bake Oven. While she was in another room, her husband Ryan and their daughter Nora unpacked the brand-new toy and started making a two-layer red velvet cake.

Upon plugging in the oven, Nora reportedly detected a strange smell, but Ryan dismissed it, attributing it to the plastic construction of the oven. Stephanie noted that Ryan had previously lost his ability to 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 the living room to play a game.

Approximately 16-20 minutes later, Ryan and Nora attempted to retrieve the first part of the cake, only to find it undercooked. Frustrated, they abandoned the baking process and unplugged the oven without consuming any of the dessert.

Shortly after, Nora began complaining of chest pains, approximately 45 minutes after plugging in the Easy-Bake Oven. Despite initially being relaxed, Stephanie decided to monitor the situation. When Nora expressed difficulty breathing, Stephanie used a pulse oximeter and found her reading to be very low at 89. Concerned, the family headed to the ER, with Ryan also experiencing difficulty breathing during the journey.

Doctors at the hospital suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, attributing the symptoms to the Easy-Bake Oven, as all family members displayed symptoms within an hour. The fire department was dispatched to the home to check for lead, carbon monoxide, and mold, but by then, eight hours had passed since the oven was unplugged.

After the parents left the hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning, Nora was transferred to Boston’s Children’s Hospital. She returned home around 4 pm on Sunday. Stephanie mentioned that she healed faster than Ryan and Nora, likely because she was not in the kitchen when the two were baking. She added that her husband and child were prescribed five days' worth of steroids and had to take an inhaler every four hours. Stephanie reiterated that they never consumed the product.