TikTok Fire Challenge's 12-Year-Old Victim Speaks Up After Horrifying Tragedy
TikTok Fire Challenge's victim, Nick Howell, has a message for other kids who are using the platform.
This week's issue of PEOPLE highlights the worrying effects and dangers of TikTok challenges. The news outlet also interviewed one of the victims who already suffered the after-effects of following everything they see online.
Nick Howell, a 12-year-old TikTok user, delivered an important reminder to kids after suffering burns on 35 percent of his body. He was among the users who attempted the Fire Challenge and failed to go well.
"You shouldn't try everything you see on social media. It won't go well. I want to tell people not to be a follower, but to be a leader," he said.
TikTok Challenge Went Wrong: What Happened to Nick Howell?
It all happened on Oct. 7, 2020 after his grandfather died. He was on the back porch at his grandmother's house in Miami when the kids started joking and talking about TikTok videos, including a clip of the Fire Challenge.
The TikTok video shows a teen soaked objects with accelerant and lit them on fire. The then 11-year-old kid spotted a lighter and tried it.
According to Howell, he put rubbing alcohol on the floor before lighting it and putting it out. However, the alcohol bottle he was holding seemingly caught fire and it exploded all over his body.
When he saw the flames around him, he ran toward the front of the house where adults were staying. His father and two uncles tried to put out the fire and sprayed him with a garden hose.
His mother, Estela Guillen, can still clearly recall how devastating and traumatic the incident was.
Howell was then airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where he spent six months in and out. He also underwent 50 surgeries.
Unfortunately, due to the nerve damage he sustained in his legs, he had to relearn how to walk, stand, and dress.
"His accident opened up my eyes in many ways, but especially in my own parenting," the matriarch said. "You think you're vigilant, but that's clearly not enough. We have to make our children understand that there are really real-life consequences to these challenges."
TikTok has not commented on the incident yet, and the number of users who have been injured while doing the challenges remains unknown.
However, the company released a safety policy in February, saying that it does not permit users to share videos promoting dangerous acts.
