19-year-old Arizona teenager, Renna O’Rourke, has sadly died after trying out a dangerous social media challenge called ‘dusting’ or ‘chroming’, as reported by AZ Family. The teen’s parents shared that she had tried out the viral challenge to become popular online, but the experiment ended in death.
What Is the ‘Dusting’ Challenge?
The fad consists of people inhaling compressed air or spray for keyboards to get a temporary high, all the while recording themselves for social networking site videos. Renna allegedly attempted this in a bid to increase her online popularity but suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in the process.
She was taken to the hospital, where she lay unconscious for almost seven days. Eventually, doctors pronounced her brain dead.
Grieving Parents Speak Out
Renna’s tearful parents are now set to make the fatal effects of the trend known. Her dad, Aaron O’Rourke, remembered her dreams, stating, “She always said, ‘I’m gonna be famous, Dad. Just you watch. I’m gonna be famous,’ and unfortunately, this is not under the most optimal of circumstances.”
Her mother, Dana, pointed out the easy availability of such dangerous drugs, saying, “There’s no ID required. It’s odorless. It’s everything kids look for. They can afford it, they can get it, and it doesn’t show in mom and dad’s drug test.”
Health Experts Warn Against the Trend
Dr. Randy Weisman, director of the Intensive Care Unit at HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, referred to the trend as ‘extremely concerning’. He clarified, “When they breathe in these chemicals in the gas it will actually substitute the oxygen in their lungs and throughout their body.”
Though the consequences may yield a short period of euphoria, the long-term effects can be dangerous. Dr. Weisman cautioned that breathing in such drugs can cause ‘failure of the liver, heart failure, disease of the lungs’.
He continued, “She’s not the only one that this has happened to. Several other teenagers have died as a result of this same disorder.”
The O’Rourke family intends that through sharing their experience, they may deter other families from suffering the same heartbreaking loss.