An Enid father is begging other parents to pay attention after his 15-year-old daughter, Leah, was rushed to the hospital and put on a ventilator following what he says was an attempt at the so-called Benadryl challenge on social media. He says doctors have told him tests show she has no brain activity, and he is now urging families to have blunt conversations about dangerous online stunts before they turn tragic.
Richard Presson told KFOR that Leah had tried the Benadryl challenge in the past, suffered seizures, and was taken to a local emergency room, then transferred to INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City. Presson said doctors placed her on a ventilator and that tests showed “zero brain activity.” He said his only goal now is to warn other parents so their kids do not follow the same online dares.
Doctors And Researchers Warn High Doses Are Dangerous
Health experts say diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, can trigger seizures, dangerous heart rhythms and even death when taken in large quantities. Research presented by the American Academy of Pediatrics found spikes in diphenhydramine-related adverse events after the trend first went viral. National poison-control calls involving teens have also surged this year, according to ABC News.
This Is Not An Isolated Oklahoma Tragedy
Oklahoma families have seen this horror before. In May, an Anadarko father said he lost his 11-year-old daughter to the same online dare and publicly begged other parents to intervene early. That incident was detailed in a Hoodline report headlined Anadarko dad warns. The report also noted that the Oklahoma Poison Center has already handled hundreds of Benadryl exposure calls this year, a snapshot of how widespread the concern has become across the state.
Local Doctors’ Advice
Local physicians told KFOR that taking too much diphenhydramine can cause seizures, cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac arrest. They recommend that parents quietly scan their child’s room and common areas for empty pill bottles or other signs of medication misuse, and not assume that an over-the-counter label means something is safe in large amounts. Presson said he hopes that by speaking out, other families will monitor what shows up in their kids’ social-media feeds and what is sitting within easy reach in their medicine cabinets.
How Parents Can Reduce Risk
Experts advise keeping all medications locked up or stored out of reach, keeping track of how many pills are in each bottle, and having direct conversations about social-media challenges so kids know what is at stake. If a child becomes confused, disoriented, begins to seize or becomes unresponsive after taking any medication, call poison control at 1-800-222-1222 or seek emergency care right away. That guidance has been echoed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Local hospitals have reported treating many Benadryl overdoses and have urged parents to have frank, even uncomfortable, talks with their children. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted that Cook Children’s Medical Center has handled numerous such cases in recent months.
