A 15-year-old girl from Oklahoma has died after taking part in the dangerous viral “Benadryl challenge. Now her father shares a heartbreaking statement about her daughter and issues a warning to other parents.
The teenager, identified as Leah Presson, reportedly became unresponsive after consuming a large amount of diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in the over-the-counter allergy medication Benadryl.
The incident is believed to be linked to the social media trend that encourages young people to take excessive doses of the drug in order to experience hallucinations.
After participating in the trend, Leah suffered seizures and cardiac arrest that reportedly left her with “no brain activity.”
Leah was rushed to the hospital after suffering severe medical complications, including seizures and cardiac arrest. Doctors later confirmed she had no detectable brain activity, leaving her family facing an unimaginable situation.
Her father, Richard Presson, has spoken out about the horrifying incident, describing the devastating moment their lives changed. Richard initially believed his daughter’s collapse may have been related to her asthma.
Teen dies after dangerous Benadryl challenge’
Health authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have repeatedly warned that misuse of these medicines can cause seizures, heart rhythm problems, coma, brain damage, and death.
The severity of the situation became clear when he arrived at the hospital, and multiple tests showed Leah had no brain activity.
“I was met by the chaplain, and they said, ‘We need to pray,’ ” Presson told ABC8 News, and added that Leah had previously participated in the dangerous trend. “I don’t even want to think about a funeral because I feel like there’s still hope and everybody’s like, giving up too soon.”
He added, “I believe in miracles, that she’s definitely a miracle baby.”
Now, per the NY Post, her father, Richard Presson, has confirmed Leah has passed away.
Despite warnings, experts say the trend continues to resurface online, putting vulnerable teenagers at risk.
Social media has seen many similar dangerous trends in recent years. There have been calls for social media companies to help prevent the spread of these trends, for example, on TikTok.
Father issues warning
In a statement to People Magazine, TikTok said that for several years, searches for “Benadryl Challenge” have redirected users to its Community Guidelines and substance use support resources.
The company also said it does not display videos linked to known dangerous challenges in search results. Instead, users searching for those terms are directed toward TikTok’s Online Challenges Safety Center, a resource developed with input from youth safety experts, an adolescent development specialist, and a behavioral scientist focused on risk prevention.
Moreover, YouTube said it has a “strict, long-standing policies prohibiting content that encourages dangerous challenges that risk serious injury or death and the abuse of non-regulated substances.”
The father, Richard Presson, is now warning other parents of the dangers lurking in online “challenges” like the one that took Leah’s life.
“I just want everybody to be aware to where they can educate their kids,” he told KSNT. “But these challenges are just silly, and they need to be educated so it don’t happen again.”
Rest in peace, Leah. Please share this article on Facebook with friends and family to spread awareness of these dangerous social media trends.
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