[Courtesy of Pixabay]
There have been so many challenges circulating ever since the success of the Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral internationally. However, some twisted individuals have been creating destructive challenges injured or killed people, especially vulnerable pre-teens and teenagers.
Recently there was a story of the Blue Whale Challenge that killed about 130 people in Russia, where the challenge began and one kid from Texas, US. Isaiah Gonzales, a 15-year-old Texas teen, partook in the Blue Whale Challenge that killed himself in July this year. His friends who knew what Gonzales was doing did not notify his parents and the authorities.
Now there is another challenge that began circulating among US kids that parents need to be aware of. It is called Hot Water Challenge. The challenge first appeared on YouTube showing videos of people pouring hot water of themselves and others.
An 8-year-old Ki'ari Pope recently passed away on June 30 after her cousin dared her to drink boiling water through a straw. Pope suffered severe burns in her mouth and throat. The burns caused swelling and Pope had difficulty breathing for months. She fell unconscious after expressing that she had a hard time breathing.
Pope's parents have been trying to bring awareness to this new challenge that kids are playing so the fellow parents can prevent further death.
In July, Wesley Smith, a 10-year-old boy from North Carolina, was injured severely after he and his stepbrother poured boiling water over him.
On August 7, Jamoneisha Merritt, an 11-year-old girl from the Bronx, was sent to the hospital after her friends poured boiling water on her face while she slept. Merritt suffered severe burns to her face, neck, chest, and shoulders.
Merritt was sleeping over at one of her friends' place when the incident happened. Her friend, a 12-year-old girl was charged with felony assault.
Merritt's mother Ebony told the NY1 news, a New York based broadcasting news company, that her daughter is not only in physical pain but she is emotionally traumatized. Merritt doesn't understand "why they did that to her. She thought they NY1 news, a New York based broadcasting news company, that her daughter is not only in physical pain but she is emotionally traumatized. Merritt doesn't understand "why they did that to her. She thought they was her friends."
The 12-year-old girl admitted the crime and allegedly said, "I don't like her. I wanted to do it."
Kwak, Min Jung = abiel@ajunews.com
reporter
KwakMin-jung
abiel@ajunews.com
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