On Friday, tragedy struck as a Massachusetts teenager lost his life after participating in the infamous “One Chip Challenge,” a viral social media trend. According to reports, the family of the 14-year-old, Harris Wolobah, firmly believes that this challenge played a role in his untimely death.
Lois Wolobah, the grieving mother, shared the account of her son’s passing with NBC 10 Boston. She says her family attributes his death to the challenge, which involved consuming an exceptionally spicy Paqui chip at his school, leading to severe illness.
After eating the chip, Harris, the sophomore at Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester, initially felt unwell. His family picked him up him from school, and he reportedly began to recover. However, Harris was discovered unconscious by his brother just before basketball tryouts, around 4:30 p.m. that evening. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was ultimately pronounced dead. As of now, the exact cause of death remains unconfirmed, pending the autopsy results.
“We have accepted jurisdiction and conducted an autopsy. The cause and manner of death are pending,” Tim McGuirk, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security told Boston 25 Tuesday.
Worcester Public Schools has initiated grief counseling and emotional support services for students and staff members. The “One Chip Challenge” promoted by the chip manufacturer, Paqui, tests an individual’s endurance in consuming the chip without drinking any liquids to alleviate the intense burning sensation.
Paqui’s website, however, explicitly cautions about potential adverse medical effects following chip consumption and emphasizes that only adults should attempt it. Furthermore, the company advises anyone experiencing “difficulty breathing, fainting, or prolonged nausea” after consuming the chip to seek immediate medical attention.
News by Breaking911
