Last year, 11-year-old Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington tragically died after suffering cardiac arrest during a sleepover at a friend’s house in Lancaster, UK. Tommie-Lee had taken part in a TikTok challenge known as “chroming,” which involves inhaling toxic fumes from household products to get high.
Tommie-Lee’s grandmother, Tina Burns, described how he went into cardiac arrest instantly and passed away despite hospital efforts to save him. The family now warns of the dangers that viral social media challenges pose to children and youths.
His mother, Sherri-Ann Gracie, called on social media platforms like TikTok to remove videos promoting chroming and urged parents to educate their kids about the risks. She emphasized that kids often don’t understand the consequences, and her son’s death serves as a heartbreaking example.
Tommie-Lee’s sister, Crystal, has spoken of their close bond and her ongoing efforts to report dangerous content online to help prevent further tragedies.
