Life saving techniques could not be administered to the little one becasuse she was alone in the room when she tried the trend.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on December 24, 2021. It has since been updated.
Trigger Warning: This story contains details of self-harm that may be disturbing to readers.
A 10-year-old girl from Pennsylvania was alone in her room when she decided to try a dangerous game that had been circulating on social media platforms. Nyla Anderson was found unconscious in her bedroom on December 12, 2021, after she allegedly tried the "blackout challenge", which dares participants to hold their breath until they pass out due to the lack of oxygen, according to WPVI.
The young girl was rushed to Nemours Children's Hospital but unfortunately, she did not make it. "I'm so hurt," her mother, Tawainna Anderson, told the news station. "This is a pain that won't go away. It's at the top of my throat. I am so hurt."
"You wouldn't think 10-year-olds would try this," Anderson added. "They're trying because they're kids and they don't know better."
10-Year-Old Girl Dies Trying 'Blackout Challenge' from Social Media, Mom Says https://t.co/rGcGfmcdfj
— People (@people) December 23, 2021
Nylah is another child to die as a result of one of these social media challenges that are way too dangerous to even be shared. "It's a challenge to see how long you can be breathless, or hold your breath in," said Dr. Mindy Dickerman, the Associate Division Chief for the Pediatric Critical Care Division at Nemours Children's Hospital. "It can result in a strangulation."
Doctors say Nylah was at home when she tried the trend. "She happened to be in her own bedroom of her house, with her family at home," said Elizabeth Wood, a licensed clinical social worker with the Division of Critical Care Medicine in the PICU at Nemours Children's Hospital. "But no one was in the bedroom with her when this happened, so there was no one there to save her."
Now, Nylah's mom—who is in a state of shock—wants other parents to be careful so they don't experience the same pain that she did. "Make sure you check your kids' phones," she said. "You never know what you might find on their phones. You wouldn't think 10-year-olds would try this. They're trying because they're kids and they don't know better."
"She was a butterfly," she added of Nyla. "She was everything. She was a happy child."
They were playing this game when I was in high school. It wasn’t called blackout though but stupidity. A classmate “accidentally” hung himself.
— Leah (@Le333ah) December 23, 2021
A friend of the family has reportedly started a GoFundMe page to raise money to pay for the child's funeral. "Imagine planning for your precious daughter’s funeral right now on the heels of the holidays," the description reads.
"Please help support this family as they move through an unfathomable loss. An absolutely heartbreaking and devastating loss for this family. If we could come together as a community to help at least pay for the funeral, it would remove a slight burden from this suffering family."
Though the grieving family did not name TikTok as the platform their daughter saw the challenge on, the company said they were remaining "vigilant" toward any unsafe content that could be seen by users, when they were contacted by PEOPLE. "This disturbing 'challenge,' which people seem to learn about from sources other than TikTok, long predates our platform and has never been a TikTok trend," a spokesperson said. "We remain vigilant in our commitment to user safety and would immediately remove related content if found."
"Our deepest sympathies go out to the family for their tragic loss," they continued.
References:
https://6abc.com/blackout-challenge-social-media-dangerous-trend-nylah-anderson/11367229/
https://people.com/human-interest/10-year-old-girl-dies-trying-blackout-challenge-from-tiktok/
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe | Help Tawainna pay for her daughter’s funeral.
