Worcester, UK - A trend on the social media platform TikTok almost killed a boy in the UK.

Eleven-year-old Ellis Tripp is currently in the hospital in critical condition after two major life-saving surgeries that would not have been necessary had the boy not been trying to follow a trend he saw on TikTok.

He was actually admitted last Wednesday because doctors thought his appendix had burst.

Prior to that, he had complained of severe abdominal pain for about a week.

However, while in surgery, his surgeons made a "horrifying discovery". Although Ellis' appendix was fine, the team's surgical equipment suddenly caught a tiny magnetic ball that had bored its way through the child's intestine.

The surgeons were stunned and later realized they would have to do another surgery as there were more magnets in Ellis' intestines. On Saturday, Ellis faced another grueling six-hour operation in which twelve inches of his bowel had to be removed.

Speaking to Worcester News, Sue Davies Ellis' grandmother, said: "He is seriously, seriously ill. Two major surgeries in just a few days isn't good for anybody, let alone a child. I am absolutely gutted. It has been a truly horrific experience. We didn't think this could have ever happened to us, these tiny magnetic balls have caused such damage."

She added: "The next 24 hours will be crucial."

But how did these little magnets get into the boy's body in the first place?

As the family currently understands, Ellis had been trying out a dangerous TikTok trend where users from around the world create the illusion of having a piercing by placing two magnetic balls on either side of their tongue and moving them around - in the process, the student may have accidentally swallowed them.

Ellis' mum, Amy Clarke, 31, has now turned to Facebook in desperation to save other families from a similar fate.

"I’m in a nightmare. This TikTok craze could/would have killed him if left any longer. Please talk to your children and tell them how DANGEROUS THESE ARE. Magneto Beads are deadly if swallowed. They even have them in educational/childcare settings for children to play with. DESTROY THEM...!!!!!"