Teenager's warning after breaking her neck attempting TikTok challenge
Following a serious neck injury, a teenager has spoken out and warned other people about the consequences of attempting a viral TikTok challenge.
TikTok is no stranger to viral challenges taking its users by storm but for one teenager, the pursuit of achieving a viral challenge went too far.
Sarah Platt has issued a warning to her fellow TikTok community about the dangers of certain trends and challenges that crop up on the social media platform.
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A few years back, Platt, then aged 16, broke her neck after trying what is known as the "skull breaker" challenge.
After being persuaded by her friends during a hockey tournament, Platt attempted the challenge which calls for two people to kick your legs at the same time so that you land on your head.
The challenge saw Platt get rushed to hospital after the 16-year-old reported she had no feeling throughout her right leg.
Upon arrival at the hospital, Platt was told that the "skull breaker" challenge led to some pretty serious injuries, namely three broken bones in her neck alongside her T5 vertebrae in her spine.
“It was just a trend that was around at the time," Platt revealed.
"We thought making the TikTok would be fun and funny but I didn’t really want to take part because I just didn’t want to get hurt. But it was a little bit of peer pressure.”
While she sustained serious injuries, Platt, now 18, is doing much better.
However, the injuries have unfortunately led to Platt developing postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) which is due to an abnormal increase in one's heart rate after sitting up or standing leading to severe dizziness and even fainting.
Acting as a cautionary tale, Platt warns others about the consequence of following certain TikTok challenges.
“I want to try and make people more aware not to do it, because it could end in someone getting hurt," the 18-year-old urged.
While Platt's family were clearly distressed by the tragic injury, Charlotte's mother, Jane, has counted their blessings that their daughter is still alive and well.
She added: “We were one of the lucky ones. She’s alive and walking – thank god – but we are obviously having to deal with something else as a result.”
This is definitely not the first time parents have been alarmed by the dangerous consequences following some viral TikTok and internet challenges.
The infamous "Blackout" trend challenged people to effectively choke themselves until they passed out and lost consciousness.
Along with Charlotte Platt, many other concerned parents and individuals are attempting to tackle and warn children of the deadly outcomes of such challenges.
Rhiannon Ingle