Arizona mom explains how TikTok saved her son's life

Daily Mail​

09-05-2025

An Arizona mother claimed a TikTok saved her son's life in an extraordinary moment the internet pinpointed the boys symptoms early on.
Nicholas McCollum, 7, was diagnosed with the flu after experiencing a fever and mobility issues, but the mother remembered how TikTok's urged parents to get a certain type of blood test.
'His fever was about 103-104 degrees, and that morning he said he couldn't walk,' his mom, Jennifer McCollum, told Live 5 News.
As doctors were about to discharge Nicholas, his mother spoke up and pushed for further attention for her son.
'They were going to send me home, and I said I want his CK levels checked,' she said.
'I got looked at like it was so weird to ask for CK levels for a child because this diagnosis is usually only in athletes and cross-fitters.'
Nicholas was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis is a disorder of skeletal muscle breakdown that releases toxins into the bloodstream, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
'They were going to send me home, and I said I want his CK levels checked,' she said. 'I got looked at like it was so weird to ask for CK levels for a child because this diagnosis is usually only in athletes and cross-fitters'
It can lead to muscle death and kidney failure, and often presents after overexertion, trauma, medications or an underlying health condition.
Common signs include muscle weakness or stiffness, muscle pain or a change in urine color.
Around 26,000 people in the United States develop the condition every year, according to Cleveland Clinic.
The Phoenix-area mother said the social media platform reminded her to advocate for her son's health and push for the right diagnosis.
Nicholas has since returned home and has been feeling much better following his diagnosis.