TikTok tragedy: Child dies from viral challenge gone wrong 

A child died after attempting the viral “blackout challenge” that has already caused the death of several other youths. 

Leon Brown, 14, was found by his mother, Lauryn Keating, unresponsive in his room in their home in Cumbernauld, United Kingdom on August 25 at around 8 a.m. local time. 

“We were made aware of the sudden death of a 14-year-old boy at Ochilview Court in Cumbernauld around 8 a.m. on Thursday, 25 August 2022,” a police spokesperson confirmed in a statement regarding the tragedy. “There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.”

Keating learned later that her son had attempted to do the viral blackout challenge that is circulating on TikTok. The challenge involves a form of self-strangulation, during which users see how long they can go on holding their breath until they fall unconscious. 

However, the challenge becomes dangerous because it restricts oxygen to the brain, resulting in seizures, injuries, or even death. 

“It went horribly wrong,” said his mom. 

“One of Leon’s friends told me he had been doing the challenge on Facetime with them after seeing it on TikTok,” the mother said about the fatal day. 

“My Leon thought he would be the one to try it first. He and his friends probably thought it was a laugh and a joke,” his mother continued. 

However, after attempting the challenge, Leon fell unconscious and never woke up. [A friend] said they thought they would wake up,” Keating added. “But Leon didn’t come back around.”

Keating is now using her son’s death as a warning for other parents. “I had heard of this challenge, because of what happened to Archie Battersbee… You just don’t expect your own child to do it,” she said. “Please warn them, these online challenges aren’t worth their lives.”

Archie, a 12-year-old British boy, was found unconscious in his home in April after attempting to perform the blackout challenge. The boy suffered a “catastrophic brain injury” during the challenge and had to be placed on life support. However, he passed away on August 6.