A 12-year-old boy from Colorado has been left brain dead after he choked himself using a shoelace for a ‘Blackout Challenge’ on TikTok.
Joshua Haileyesus was found unresponsive in the bathroom by his shocked brother on March 22.
Also known as ‘speed dreaming,’ ‘the fainting game,’ or ‘the game of chocking,’ the Blackout Challenge challenges people to choke themselves until they lose consciousness.
According to reports, Joshua talked to his twin brother about holding his breath for one minute.
In an interview with Fox19, his grieving father Haileyesus Zeryihun said that doctors have told them their son is “not going to survive.”
“I was begging them on the floor, pleading to see if they can give me some time, not to give up on him,” he expressed.
“If I just give up on him, I feel like I’m just walking away from my son.”
Zeryihun also warned other parents about such dangerous challenges, saying: “I’m paying the price right now. I’m living the life, and I hate for other parents to go through this.
“This is something that kids need to be given to be taught, to be counseled. Because this is a serious a serious thing.
“It’s not a joke at all. And you can treat it as if somebody is holding a gun. This is how dangerous this is.”
Zeryihun described his son as a “fighter. I can see him fighting. I’m praying for him every day. It’s just heartbreaking to see him laying on the bed.”
One person commented: “Time’s up for these apps and viral challenges.”
Another wrote: “How thoroughly disheartening and distressing for this young mans’ family. condolences. and RIP, sweetheart.”
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