A mother has issued an urgent warning to parents over the ‘chrome plating’ challenge after she feared her daughter would die when she became “violently ill” after trying the dangerous social media trend.
Mikayla Solomon, from Rochester, Kent, feared she would lose her daughter when she and a friend inhaled “five or six” cans of aerosol after hearing about the trend known as “chrome plating.”
She said Teigan, 12, and her friend took boats from her home and two other homes in the neighborhood.
The word “chrome” is an informal word that originates from Australia. It involves inhaling vapors from a toxic source, such as an aerosol can, aerosol deodorant, or paint container.
When inhalants are abused, they affect the central nervous system and slow down brain activity, resulting in a short-term “high.”
Teigan, 12, and her friend inhaled “five or six” cans of aerosol after allegedly learning about the trend known as “chrome plating” in early March.
Teigan appears in hospital after attempting dangerous social media ‘chroming’ challenge
Mikayla Solomon was worried about her 12-year-old daughter (both pictured) and took her to the ER immediately.
An 11-year-old boy named Tommie-Lee Billington died after inhaling toxic chemicals around the same time Teigan attempted the dangerous challenge.
This dangerous tendency can cause slurred speech, dizziness, hallucinations, nausea and disorientation, but it can also lead to a heart attack or suffocation.
Mikayla feels “grateful” her daughter’s symptoms were not more severe and urged other parents to be aware of this “dangerous” challenge.
She said: ‘I feel very grateful it wasn’t worse. She could have easily gone into cardiac arrest. I could have easily lost my daughter that day.
“After it happened, I saw that a little boy had died from it and a little girl had been in the ICU, it’s terrifying.
‘I’m worried about the long-term damage. I’ve read things like it can cause cognitive decline and memory loss. It’s worrying.
‘She’s 12, so she shouldn’t be in [social media] but all their friends are, so they’re going to see these trends, but [the platforms] Strong measures must be taken against it. Social networks greatly influence our children. Parents need to know the dangers.
‘It’s a really dangerous trend. If you think your child has done this, have them checked; can cause long-term damage.
The 37-year-old took her daughter Teigan to A&E at Medway Maritime Hospital in Kent after discovering she had inhaled the cans with a friend at a sleepover “for a laugh”.
The worried mother of two said Teigan complained of palpitations and dizziness hours after inhaling the fumes.
Mikayla feels “grateful” her daughter’s symptoms were not more severe and urged other parents to be aware of this “dangerous” challenge. Above: Teigan and her mother.
Mikayla said Teigan, 12, and her friend got the boats from her house and two neighbors’ houses.
The mother said her daughter was still unwell in the days after the incident, puzzling doctors as to the cause of her symptoms.
Mikayla said her daughter had heart palpations and was constantly sick.
Despite receiving the all-clear from doctors, Mikayla said Teigan was vomiting continuously for 12 days and fears the incident left long-term damage.
Mikayla said: “I didn’t really know what she had done, but my oldest daughter said Teigan had inhaled deodorant.” She really had no idea what that meant.
‘There were five or six cans of deodorant between the two of us. They had taken the cans from me, a neighbor and another neighbor.
‘When I found out, I thought I had to get it checked. She apologized and said that she just wanted to do it to make her laugh and that she didn’t really think about the consequences.
‘She thought it would just make her and her friend laugh. She said her heart had palpitations.
The supermarket team leader took Teigan to the hospital, where she underwent multiple tests. Luckily everything returned to normal.
However, she said her daughter was still unwell in the days after the incident, puzzling doctors as to the cause of her symptoms.
The mother, who also has an 18-year-old daughter called Jaymee-Leigh, said: “Teigan really wasn’t feeling well after returning home. She was constantly sick. “She said she felt like everything was in slow motion and delayed.
“I didn’t really know what to think; I didn’t know if she was making it up.” I told her she could have died. The doctors talked to her and I think that scared her.
‘She slept in my bed that night and I could hear her panting. She still didn’t feel well. She was thinking that maybe this trend has caused harm. She was sick and had diarrhea.
‘I thought it would have gone away after a few days, but she was still sick. She was sick every day for 12 days, if it was a mistake, she would have been gone in 24 hours.
And she kept burping like sulfur, which was very gassy and I really think it was related to the deodorant cans.
Mikayla is pictured with her two daughters Teigan and Jaymee-Leigh.
The mother (pictured with her two daughters) urged other parents to take action quickly if they suspect their daughter has taken part in the dangerous challenge.
The mother (pictured with her two daughters) said she was worried about long-term damage.
“We went back to A&E and they weren’t sure what was wrong with him.”
In early March, around the same time Teigan was attempting to “chromate,” an 11-year-old boy named Tommie-Lee Billington died after inhaling toxic chemicals.
Lancashire Police were called to the scene by North West Ambulance Service. He was taken to hospital but was later pronounced dead.
His family blamed the madness on the internet and called on social media giants to take action.
His grandmother Tina claimed Tommie-Lee “died instantly” and the family now want social media banned for children under 16.
“This is breaking us all, but we want to help save other children’s lives and raise awareness among families to keep their children safe,” she told the Lancashire Post at the time.