An entire community is in shock after 11-year-old Tommie-Lee Billington from Lanchester in England died on Saturday.
This is reported by several international media, among others The Independent.
– Terrible
In the wake of the death, Tommie’s family has advocated for an age limit on social media. They say the 11-year-old died because of a TikTok trend:
– This is terrible, and it could have been avoided. To all other parents: Talk to your children, says Tina Burns, the boy’s grandmother Lanchester Post.
Police in Lanchester confirmed the death earlier this week. They said in a statement that they responded to an address on Saturday, where the boy was found lifeless.
– It’s just tragic. Our thoughts go out to the family, said a police spokesperson.
Vanished without a trace: Raider home
– Insanely dangerous
Grandma Burns tells several media outlets that the grandson was found unconscious with a cardiac arrest in the bedroom of a friend, where he was supposed to spend the night on the Saturday evening in question.
The 11-year-old had tried a TikTok trend called “chroming”, and died instantly.
“Chroming” involves sniffing or inhaling toxins from spray cans, paint, petrol and other agents. The trend can be extremely dangerous – and can lead to heart attacks, suffocation and permanent liver, brain and kidney damage.
– It’s insanely dangerous. Tommie died instantly. He was taken to hospital, but his life could not be saved, the grandmother continues to the Lanchester Post.
She says that the family wants the cause of death to come out, so that others see how dangerous it can be to let children “run free” on social media.
DEATH SUDDENLY: Tommie was taken away on Saturday. Photo: The police. view more
Taking action
Tommy’s mother writes in a status update on Facebook that she has “never felt similar pain”.
She adds that she now wants to raise awareness of the dangers of leaving children alone on TikTok:
– Tommie will be in my heart forever. Now, to the best of my ability, I will ensure that his name can lead to other children’s lives being saved, she writes further.
In the last two years, several children have died from the fatal chroming trend. According to the Independent, Tommie’s family is therefore trying to get TikTok to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing it. Today, the social platform has an age limit of 13 years.
– We are completely destroyed and shattered, all of us. But now we want to make sure that something similar does not happen again, says the mother to the newspaper.
Furthermore, she believes that it is foolish that TikTok allows young children to have access to fatal trends such as the “chroming challenge”.
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More parents have criticized TikTok for “taking the lives of your children”. Five days ago, a TikTok spokesperson told the Independent that they “do not allow dangerous challenges” and that “99 percent of such content has now been removed.” They will not comment on individual incidents.
“Heart of Gold”
In the wake of the tragic death, several people have taken to social media to pay tribute to 11-year-old Tommie. Several people write that he was a “point of light in everyday life”, and praise his good heart and kind nature.
“Tommie was an energetic boy. He always lightened the mood and was a ray of sunshine,” writes a friend of the family on Facebook.
“He had a heart of gold. We love and miss him,” writes another.
Several highlight the boy’s ability to light up any room he entered, and write that they want to create a signature campaign to introduce a 16-year age limit on TikTok.
“Tommie is the kindest boy I have ever known. We will honor his memory,” writes another friend of the family.
2024-03-07 11:51:52
#Boy #died #family #warns
