Father reveals reason why he shared hospital photo of son who died in ‘TikTok Benadryl challenge’

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Jacob Stevens died six days after attempting the deadly “Benadryl TikTok challenge,” which involves young users of the platform consuming enough of the over-the-counter medication to induce hallucinations. “We haven’t heard anything back from him yet, but the lieutenant governor did contact us,” Mr Stevens said. “Now he’s gone and we’ll never have him again.” open image in gallery Jacob’s father Justin Stevens shared a distressing picture of his young son in a hospital bed, where he spent a week hooked onto a ventilator before he was pronounced dead on 12 April The “Benadryl challenge” began circulating on the social media platform in 2020, at which point the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about the dangers associated with taking higher than recommended doses of the allergy medication. The death from the TikTok challenge comes after Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, said it had treated three teens hospitalised after consuming “excessive amounts” of the medication.