Jesus, this is grim.
Threads like this - "Batshit Parent Grifting Off Disabled/Baity/Dead Kid" - I usually just read, feel miserable, and never open again. Not planning on being a regular to this one, either, but I did have one question:
this whole Tiktok challenge thing. What's the story behind that? It's mentioned several times in the OP, and was one of the hooks that got me reading, but I'm still not entirely sure what Holly claims the challenge to have been.
The CDC page you linked seems to be describing autoerotic asphyxiation (i.e. "the David Carradine Thing"), and I certainly
hope that's not what Holly claims her kid was up to. The Tiktok disavowal doesn't seem to be talking about AEA; in fact, it doesn't seem to be talking about anything specific, it's just a general, blanket denial about promoting dangerous behavior. And checking Tiktok right now, I can't see anything about kids hanging themselves with nooses as part of a challenge. While there are several million videos tagged as "choking" or "choking challenge", these seem to be random videos of accidental choking (drinking water and laughing) or videos of young people lightly choking each other with their hands.
I must admit, "My kid died doing a viral trend where you hang yourself from the banister of your stairs" is one hell of a lolcow origin story, but it sounds improbable - and while I know it sounds improbable 'cuz she's lying (because obviously she's lying), it sounds like the kind of lie that is TOO unbelievable for even a grifter to make up.
The hell is she on about?
-edit- Ah, OK, found this:
https://www.mixedarticle.com/ligature-over-head-online-challenge-tiktok-archie-battersbee
Archie Battersbee was discovered with a ligature over his head. First, his mother said they believed it could have been a rare accident, but later, she thought it could be some type of internet challenge.
She also added that she received a call from someone who said they had heard about boys wearing ligatures over their heads as part of an internet challenge. But, the matter is not disclosed yet, and no confirmation about the child trying some kind of challenge has been confirmed.
She also added that she is unsure if it is true, but she still wants to make other parents aware and ask the investigators to investigate it.
So the source for the whole "My poor child was copying Tiktok!!" thing is literally just: some rando called Holly and said they heard, from somebody, that maybe possibly hanging yourself from a bannister was a challenge. Somewhere online. Maybe. Dude trust me.
Cops pls investigate, uwu...?