'Sweet Boy' Killed by TikTok Trend: Mum of 12-Year-Old Oliver Gorman Breaks Silence on Deadly Dare

The seemingly endless scroll of viral challenges has become a staple of youth culture, but for one family, a dangerous social media dare has turned into an unimaginable tragedy.

A distressing online trend sweeping platforms like TikTok is now directly connected to the death of a 12-year-old child, prompting an urgent plea.

The Deadly TikTok Dare That Stole a 12-Year-Old

Experts and authorities are now sending a clear message: parents must understand the risks and take immediate steps to safeguard their children from these hidden online dangers before another life is lost.

A UK schoolboy tragically passed away following participation in a dangerous online challenge called 'chroming', according to evidence heard at an inquiry. Twelve-year-old Oliver Gorman died after breathing in the possibly fatal fumes released from body sprays, specifically those from the Lynx and Aldi brands.

During the inquiry into Oliver's premature death, his mother, Clare Gillespie, gave a grave warning about the social media practice. The TikTok trend, known as 'chroming' or 'huffing', involves young people breathing in chemical sprays to achieve intoxication.

Inquest Hears How 'Chroming' Killed Oliver Gorman

The Manchester South Coroner's Court was told that, while Oliver had faced verbal abuse about his looks, he was also a lively boy with a large group of friends.

Gillespie, who used to live in Hyde, Greater Manchester, but now resides in Shrewsbury, said she wanted to warn other mothers and fathers about several emojis. These symbols were also shown in the well-known Netflix series Adolescence.

Tearful, she expressed: 'I don't know whether Oliver did that to escape. As a mother that hurts me', she continued, according to the Mirror. 'Every Christmas we have a standing joke that we never have so many chocolates, deodorants and gift sets.'

She added, 'There were symbols on Oliver's TikTok account; I had never seen them before, so I looked at Google. In the Netflix series Adolescence, they used these symbols'.

'Oliver felt low and he turned to social media. I don't believe he did it to take his life — I think it was something that went terribly wrong. If there is one thing, I want to make sure parents know the risk of what these things can do. He was a sweet boy, a lovely family boy.'

The Grief and the Crusade: A Family's Battle Against TikTok

Gillespie disclosed that they had started a petition called Oliver's Awareness and were committed to advancing their campaign to highlight the dangers associated with social media, breathing in solvents, and bullying. She clarified: 'If we can raise awareness in one place, in ten places in a million places'.

'Every teenage boy gets a Lynx. I can't use anything like that anymore. I used to be a hairdresser for 26 years but I can't even use a hair spray.'

The inquiry established that Oliver had just come back from a family holiday in Wales before heading to his room on 5 May of this year, around 4:30 p.m. His mother found him under his quilt, unresponsive, a brief time later, according to a Daily Star report.

First responders arrived quickly, and Oliver, a brother to two older boys, was taken to Tameside General Hospital. He was pronounced deceased there at 7:31 p.m. The court found five spray cans in his bedroom: three from the Lynx range and two from Aldi.

Coroner Demands Action on Aerosol Sales and Social Media

Assistant coroner Andrew Bridgman returned a finding of accidental death, or 'death by misadventure'. Bridgman explained that he did not think the boy had meant to take his life and pointed out that it was not possible to know if Oliver had inhaled the substance butane before.

Bridgman expressed concern that the caution labels on aerosol products are not strong enough and need to be reviewed. He affirmed: 'There is no evidence that Oliver deliberately inhaled the aerosol with the intention of ending his own life; it strikes me this chroming comes from TikTok challenges'.

'It is clear when you look at the TikTok challenges it is really quite frightening what is put out by social media which affects the young minds of people like Oliver. There needs to be more awareness.'

Bridgman also mentioned of insufficient warnings about the hazards of breathing chemical sprays and the fact that those under 16 can buy these items. He intends to contact the Business Secretary concerning this matter.

He went on to state, 'A major concern is that TikTok disseminates these challenges without any regard to the well-being of those who subscribe to it. It concerns me that these life-threatening challenges go out on TikTok and are so easily accessible'.

'Maybe it is the culture secretary I need to write to about that. Hopefully between us we can prevent the future loss of young lives.'

Mother's Urgent Warning: Parents Must Spot the Signs

Following the hearing, the 42-year-old Gillespie remarked, 'Social media is a disgrace; I got on Facebook to speak to relatives. Now there are people daring other children to take their own lives or do something that could end up horrendous'.

'People are going to lose their children's lives because of these trends. This one kills. As a parent I just feel numb and upset. Don't buy your children these solvents and don't have them in your home.'

'I never thought this could happen to my child. We buy our children mobile phones for safety but that safety is a big gamble because you don't know what they are doing on them.'

The Call for Action

The tragic loss of Oliver Gorman serves as a devastating reminder of the unseen threats lurking behind a screen. While parents are urged to have open conversations with their children about the dangers of challenges like 'chroming', the inquest has also highlighted systemic failures.

The call from the Coroner and Oliver's mother, Clare Gillespie, is clear: greater parental vigilance, stricter regulation on the sale and labelling of aerosol products, and greater accountability for social media platforms like TikTok are urgently required.

Only through a unified effort can we protect young lives from the next viral, and potentially fatal, online dare.