Teen who dreamed of being famous dies in deadly 'dusting' challenge

Daily Mail​

07-06-2025

An Arizona teen has died after taking part in a deadly 'dusting' social media challenge.
Renna O'Rourke, 19, who dreamed of being famous, died on Sunday following a week-long stay in intensive care.
Also known as 'huffing' or 'chroming,' dusting involves participants inhaling aerosols such as keyboard cleaners.
Renna O'Rourke, 19, died on Sunday afternoon following a week long stay inside an intensive care unit
The teenager initially went into cardiac arrest and was later declared brain dead after inhaling the cleaning product
The teenager initially went into cardiac arrest and was later declared brain dead after using a cleaning product.
Speaking with AZFamily, her father Aaron O'Rourke said his daughter always dreamed of being a star.
'She always said, "I'm gonna be famous, Dad. Just you watch. I'm gonna be famous," and unfortunately this is not under the most optimal of circumstances.'
Aaron and his wife Dana shared their daughter's story in an attempt to raise awareness, having never heard of the social media craze.
Dana added: 'There's no ID required. It's odorless. It's everything kids look for. They can afford it, they can get it, and it doesn't show in mom and dad's drug test.'
According to Dana, Renna and her boyfriend managed to use an app delivery service to have the cleaner sent to their door.
She told 12news: '[Renna] and her boyfriend had Door Dashed product to my house and I didn't know. It's keyboard cleaner. I didn't know what they were doing with it.
'We want to make sure that we use our tragedy so that no other parent has to experience looking at their child on life support and a ventilator and not breathing on her own all because she huffed out of a can.'
Dr Randy Weisman, with the HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, told AZFamily: 'This is extremely concerning.
'When they inhale these chemicals in the gas it will actually replace the oxygen within their lungs and within the rest of their body.'
According to Weisman the effect makes the users feel drunk or euphoric for a few minutes, during which the damage done can often be irreversible and deadly.
He told the outlet that liver failure, heart failure and disease of the lungs are all possible outcomes.
The only light to come from their daughter's passing, her parents said, was that her organs have gone on to save at least six lives.
Her parents Dana and Aaron, pictured here, are now on a mission to raise awareness over the deadly trend
The only light to come from their daughter's passing, her parents said, was that her organs have gone on to save at least six lives
Dana added: 'Through that we're finding strength and purpose. She will be unbelievably missed, leaving the most aching hole in our lives.
'But if her life is to mean anything, we are going to do what we can to prevent somebody else's child from being where ours is right now.
Her family have since created a GoFundMe page, which can be found here, to help them cover medical and funeral expenses.
A post to the fundraiser said: 'On Sunday, June 1st at 1:30 pm, our wonderful daughter, after 4 days in the ICU, was pronounced brain dead.
'She was the light in every room she walked into, and the pain that her family and friends feel is simply immeasurable.
'We want to use the proceeds of this fundraiser to cover the extensive medical bills, burial costs, therapy costs, and to spread awareness about the dangers of Huffing/Dusting, the practice of inhaling keyboard cleaner or similar.'
Last September the deadly trend was brought up by concerned doctors at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual conference in Orlando, Florida.
They urged other doctors and parents to be sure they are aware of the trend in order to better protect children.
In research, which was presented at the conference, a team analyzed 109 videos from social media of chroming which had 25 million views.
They found that permanent markers were the most common chroming item, appearing in 31 per cent of the videos.
Air dusters were the second most common, in 17 per cent of videos, followed by nail polish, 12 per cent, paint thinner, gasoline and spray deodorant, 11 per cent for each.
About six per cent of the videos analyzed also showed users sniffing hair spray. More than half of the videos referenced repeated usage or addiction.