Teen left brain dead from TikTok challenge desired online fame, father says

An Oklahoma teenage girl left brain-dead after participating in a viral social media challenge longed to be “TikTok famous,” according to her father, who said she will now have a chance to save lives through the donation of her organs.

Leah Presson, 15, participated in what is known as the “Benadryl Challenge,” which involves individuals recording themselves trying to stay awake and get high by downing excessive amounts of the allergy medication. The challenge initially emerged in 2020 but has resurfaced at times in recent years. 

The girl’s father, Richard Presson, joined “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” this week to speak about his daughter’s condition, saying she has been “a giver her whole life.”

“She’s wanted to save lives and stuff like that. We went to donate her organs so she could save up to 90 other lives with her small little body,” the father told NewsNation.

“Leah is a very great person, and she always wanted to be TikTok famous. It hurts to see that my daughter is now laying lifeless because of some challenge that couldn’t be stopped,” he added.

The father said his daughter had participated in the “Benadryl Challenge” for the first time around Christmas, and at least four other times afterward.

“I never heard of it until my ex-wife told me about it the other day. We don’t communicate. We can’t communicate and, you know, I urge other people to, if they’re in a broken home, to try their best to communicate,” Presson said.

“Or if there’s ever a sign of something like this or a new challenge to educate their kids, communicate with someone that can communicate with the child,” he added.

Leah suffered seizures after participating in the social media challenge, Presson told KFOR. The seizures were initially thought to be due to Leah’s history of asthma.

The teenage girl has been hospitalized at Integris Health Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City for several days, and multiple tests have shown she has zero brain activity.

At the hospital, after the girl’s condition took a turn, Presson recalled the moment he was approached by the chaplain, who said, “We need to pray.”

“I don’t even want to think about a funeral because I feel like there’s still hope and everybody’s like, giving up too soon,” the father said at the time. “I believe in miracles, that she’s definitely a miracle baby.”

Last week, officials in Connecticut confirmed that three children in the state had died over the last two months from apparent overdoses of diphenhydramine, a drug commonly found in over-the-counter and prescription allergy medications, including Benadryl.

In its statement, the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) said it could not confirm whether the deaths of the three children are related to the TikTok challenge. The OCA did advise that parents and healthcare providers be aware that “adolescents may misuse the medication.”

“We want parents to be aware that any medication, including prescription and non-prescription medication, is potentially dangerous to children of all ages,” the OCA said in its statement. “We strongly encourage parents to store all medications safely, to ensure they are not easily accessible to children.”

“We also want parents to know that resources are available if their children are experiencing mental health needs,” the statement continued. “Every day in Connecticut, 17 children present to emergency departments around the state for self-harm or suicidal ideation.”

On its website, Poison Control warns about the dangers of participating in the “Benadryl Challenge.”

“The Benadryl challenge is an unsafe practice promoted through social media that encourages people to take excessive amounts of Benadryl to induce hallucinations,” Poison Control warned.

“Swallowing more than the recommended amount of diphenhydramine can cause serious side effects that can result in the inability to call for emergency services,” the medical resource advised. “Avoid participating in social media challenges, especially those that involve taking medications. These are never safe.”