Colorado Boy Brain Dead After Trying Social Media Challenge

A 12-year-old Colorado boy is reportedly brain dead and in critical condition after attempting a social media trend called 'the blackout challenge.'

The boy, Joshua Haileyesus, saw the challenge on the popular social media app Tik Tok and was found by his twin brother unconscious on the bathroom floor with a shoelace around his neck on Monday, March 22nd.

The challenge involves choking oneself to the point of passing out and is extremely dangerous. Joshua also allegedly bragged to his brother about being able to hold his breath for a minute prior to the tragic discovery.

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Joshua is currently in the hospital with little to no brain activity and what's worse is he is not expected to survive. His father, Haileyesus Zerihun is devastated, to say the least, and had this to say about his son's current condition:

[They] told me the bad news that he’s not going to survive, he’s not going to make it. I was begging them on the floor, pleading to see if they can give me some time, not to give up on him. If I just give up on him, I feel like I’m just walking away from my son.

However grim the outcome to this tragic story may seem, the boy's father remains as optimistic as one could in this scenario:

He’s a fighter. I can see him fighting. I’m praying for him every day. It’s just heartbreaking to see him laying on the bed.

Joshua is remembered as a boy that loved soccer, video games, the Army, and had dreams of one day becoming a pastor. His father hopes that his story will urge parents to warn their children about dangerous challenges like this to prevent other families to go through what Joshua's family is currently going through.

[WJHG]