September 2nd 2024.
Cesar, a 12-year-old boy, had a terrifying experience that almost cost him his life. He had fallen victim to a dangerous social media trend called "chroming" where people inhale toxic chemicals for a temporary high. Cesar had inhaled a can of anti-perspirant as part of this trend and it had caused him to collapse at his home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire on the 21st of August.
Cesar's mother, Nichola King, had just finished breastfeeding her youngest child when she heard a loud thud coming from downstairs. She immediately ran downstairs to see what had happened and was shocked to find her son having a seizure on the kitchen floor. She quickly called for help and her eldest son, Kaiden, dialed 999 while Nichola performed CPR on Cesar.
Cesar was rushed to the hospital where he had multiple seizures and cardiac arrests. He was placed in a medically induced coma for two days but thankfully, he recovered and was able to return home. Nichola, who is a mother of four, shared photos of her son receiving CPR and in intensive care to warn others about the dangers of chroming.
This trend involves inhaling toxic chemicals like paint, solvent, aerosol cans, cleaning products, or petrol in order to experience a temporary high. However, it can have serious side effects such as slurred speech, dizziness, hallucinations, nausea, and disorientation. It can even lead to heart attacks or suffocation. Sadly, there have been cases where children have died as a result of trying this trend.
Earlier this year, 11-year-old Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington from Lancashire died from a suspected cardiac arrest after trying chroming at a sleepover with his friends. In 2023, Esra Haynes from Melbourne, Australia also passed away after inhaling deodorant at a sleepover. And 12-year-old Teigan Solomon from Kent ended up in the hospital with heart palpitations and vomiting for days after trying this trend at a sleepover.
Nichola vividly recalls the moment she heard her son fall and how she immediately rushed downstairs to see him lying on the floor with his eyes rolling back. She was terrified as he was having a seizure. She quickly ran upstairs to get her phone but her hands were shaking so much that she couldn't unlock it. She asked her eldest son to call for an ambulance and then began performing CPR on her son to try and revive him.
Nichola had no idea what had caused her son to collapse but the police later found a can of Aldi Lacura deodorant and other chroming paraphernalia on the kitchen floor. This led them to believe that Cesar had inhaled the anti-perspirant before falling unconscious. Nichola had never heard of chroming before this incident and was shocked to learn about its dangers.
Cesar was transferred to Sheffield Children's Hospital where he was placed in a medically induced coma for 48 hours. When he woke up, he showed signs of progress and was able to breathe on his own, talk, and walk. After eight days in the hospital, he was discharged and able to return home. However, there is still concern about any potential long-term damage as his short-term memory has been affected.
Nichola is grateful that she heard her son fall that night as it could have been a completely different outcome if she had not. She has spoken to Cesar and asked him to never try anything like this again. She has also disposed of all the spray products in their home to prevent any future incidents. Nichola also wants to stress the importance of being first-aid trained, as it can make a difference between life and death in situations like these.
In light of this incident, Aldi declined to comment. Nichola's message to anyone who is considering trying chroming is that it's not worth it. She wants to emphasize the pain and suffering it caused her son and the worry it brought upon her family. She also urges parents to attend first-aid training courses as it can make a significant difference in emergency situations.
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