Leah Persson, a 15-year-old from Oklahoma, was declared brain dead after taking part in a dangerous viral challenge involving Benadryl, an over-the-counter allergy medicine in the United States. According to her family, she swallowed a large amount of the drug in an attempt to cause hallucinations and quickly began convulsing.
The challenge, known online as the “Benadryl challenge,” encourages teenagers to take dangerous doses of the medication in hopes of getting high or experiencing hallucinations. Doctors warned that such an overdose can lead to seizures, heart rhythm problems, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, and death. After taking the pills, Leah’s condition deteriorated rapidly and she was taken to hospital in critical condition.
Her father, Richard Persson, said Leah wanted to be famous on TikTok and had tried the challenge before. This time, her family initially thought she might be having an asthma attack, but hospital staff told them the symptoms were caused by a Benadryl overdose. She later suffered cardiac arrest, leaving her brain without oxygen for many minutes.
Doctors eventually informed the family that she had no brain activity. While the family still hoped for a miracle, they also decided to donate her organs, a move that could help dozens of other patients. Richard Persson said he is speaking publicly to warn other parents and teenagers, urging them to monitor what children see online, talk to them about the dangers, and keep medications stored safely.
