One of a parent’s greatest fears is that our child will get into a dangerous situation when we are not there to protect them.
We teach them safety skills and self-awareness, but sometimes they find themselves in difficult situations and can make poor choices.
One young boy nearly lost his life recently because of a dangerous prank – and every parent should be aware of it.
Peer pressure is perhaps the greatest influencing factor on a child’s behavior, although we always pray they follow our rules and advice in order to stay safe.
A child in Nottinghamshire, England was found unconscious after being bullied into participating in a dangerous stunt – one that was unknown to his parents and that he had not been warned about himself.
Eleven-year-old Tyler Broome was doing what children do every day, playing with a friend on a playground near his home.
Sounds harmless, right?
Unfortunately, a group of older teens started to bother the boys, including a 17-year-old who the children did not know.
He coerced Tyler into taking part in a prank that has gone viral on YouTube – the “Roundabout of Death.”
This prank involves using a moped or motorcycle to make a playground’s merry-go-round go dangerously fast. The driver of the bike revs the engine to spin the back tire against the side of the merry-go-round, supposedly providing a thrilling ride.
But every parent needs to be aware of how dangerous this prank can be. Dawn Hollingsworth, Taylor’s mother, knows this firsthand.
Taylor was found late last year unconscious near the merry-go-round after another boy called the authorities.
The injuries are severe, and quite easily could have killed the child.
He was immediately rushed to Queens Medical Center near his home. The doctors who treated him had never seen such rare injuries, especially in a child.
They likened them to what happens to military pilots or astronauts when they experience severe changes in gravitational force, so-called “G-Forces.”
Tyler’s brain was swelled, surrounded by fluid and blood, affecting his vision and causing him to pass out.
The Daily Mail reported:
“They have never seen it before, they are going to make a medical report from it. His head has completely swelled up, his blood vessels have burst, his eyes look alien. His vision is blurry.
You can manage a broken arm, but this? He doesn’t remember it, he doesn’t remember the detail,” said Taylor’s mom, Dawn.
Taylor continues to suffer from his injuries and is under observation for the possibility that he could still suffer a stroke from the trauma to his brain.
The teenagers involved filmed the prank and posted it on YouTube, something that is taking place with dangerous pranks and “challenges” involving children at an increasing rate.
It is obvious in the video that Taylor had passed out, but instead of calling for help, the teens thought the prank was funny and would be good material for a viral video posting. They left him alone, fleeing the scene.
The identities of the teens are still unknown, and authorities in the area are asking for help in bringing these bullies to justice.
Dawn shared her story with local papers and on Facebook.
The horrific incident is now being shared by others all over the world in the hopes that both parents and children will become aware of this dangerous stunt.
Dawn asks for help in finding the teens who could have killed her son, but also wants to catch the attention of every parent who will listen.
“I could of easily lost my son tonight and wouldn’t want any parent going through what my family are tonight…doctors just don’t know how long internal symptoms will take. We are just taking each day as it comes,” she posted, according to the Daily Mail.
This is not the first social media challenge that has been found to have dangerous implications.
From the ice challenge and eraser challenge, both of which caused serious burns on the skin of children who thought they were harmless, to horrific pranks like the “Roundabout of Death,” parents must keep an eye on social media trends and make a point of discussing the dangers with their children.
Mommy Underground has reported on these dangerous “challenges” before and will continue to keep you updated on the latest threats to your children’s safety.
“I feel so frustrated that there is such a site like YouTube where bloggers get paid for putting such ideas and videos into young children’s heads. There needs to be some discussion about banning these videos after what’s happened to my son,” said Dawn.
While parents know they must remain vigilant about their child’s social media use and online activities, it is hard to know everything they see and do each day.
Videos of life-threatening pranks and challenges are shared with friends and peers at school because our kids think they are funny.
Sometimes, they tease and dare each other to participate in these trends to fit in.
It is not a new parenting problem by any means, but the reach of social media has made it more important than ever to stay in open communication with your kids.
We pray for Tyler’s recovery, for the strength of his family during this difficult time, and for an end to these videos being posted online – and freely available to vulnerable children.
Have you heard of the “Roundabout of Death?” Do you plan to discuss this dangerous prank with your child? Leave us your comments.