Family issue tragic warning as teen dies after copying 'dusting' trend she’d seen online
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: NBC/O’Rourke Family
The parents of a teenager who died from 'dusting' have issued vital advice to other mums and dads regarding the deadly social media trend.
In June of this year, 19-year-old Arizona teen Renna O'Rourke was rushed to a nearby intensive care unit, having suffered what appeared to be a cardiac arrest after taking part in the risky 'game'.
The Tempe local remained under the care of doctors for a week after being ruled as brain dead, before tragically passing away.
It was later determined that O'Rouke had taken part in a controversial online trend known as 'dusting'.
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The dangerous practice - known by the term 'chroming' in the UK and other parts of the world - sees youngsters inhaling aerosols whilst filming themselves, with plans to post footage of their 'highs' on social media.
The trend is understood to give part-takers a temporary feeling of euphoria - but, as well as triggering issues surrounding the heart, 'dusting' has also been linked to brain, liver and lung damage - even after being used just once.
The online challenge is most commonly linked to the inhalation of aerosols, including spray deodorant, paint thinner. In O'Rourke's case, however, the teenager had inhaled large amounts of keyboard cleaner in the minutes prior to her heart attack.
According to her parents, Aaron and Dana O'Rourke - who spoke to press following their daughter's devastating death - she and her boyfriend had purchased the chemicals online, and had them delivered by DoorDash.
Now, her mother is using her heartbreaking experience as a means of raising awareness of the potentially-fatal social media trend, in a bid to prevent other parents from going through the same hell.
"There's no ID required [to purchase aerosols]. It's odorless," Dana told 12News recently. "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."
The bereft mum continued: "We want to make sure that we use our tragedy so that no other parent has to experience looking at their child on life support and a ventilator and not breathing on her own all because she huffed out of a can."
Paying tribute to his little girl, O'Rourke's father Aaron also told AZFamily that the teen had long dreamed of being famous.
"She always said, 'I'm gonna be famous, Dad. Just you watch. I'm gonna be famous'," he explained. "And unfortunately this is not under the most optimal of circumstances."
Following her passing, Renna’s organs were donated to at least six other people, her mum added.
"Through that we're finding strength and purpose,” Dana said.
"She will be unbelievably missed, leaving the most aching hole in our lives, but if her life is to mean anything, we are going to do what we can to prevent somebody else's child from being where ours is right now.
"She will be unbelievably missed, leaving the most aching hole in our lives, but if her life is to mean anything, we are going to do what we can to prevent somebody else's child from being where ours is right now."