In a surprising and sad event, 14-year-old Davi Nunes Moreira fell victim to a fatal internet challenge.
To get noticed, he tried a risky trend and injected a mixture with crushed butterfly wings into his leg.
The outcome was terrible. What began as a seemingly innocent effort for online fame quickly transformed into a painful and slow death for the young boy.
A painful seven-day struggle
Deadly viral challenges are becoming a serious issue, as more people, especially teenagers, are putting their lives at risk for online fame. From risky dares to harmful stunts, these trends can lead to tragic outcomes.
One of the many young victims of this trend was 14-year-old Davi Nunes Moreira from Brazil.
After he started limping and vomiting, the boy first told his dad that he had hurt himself while playing. But when his condition got worse and his father found a syringe under his pillow, the young boy admitted to the hospital staff what he had done.
It turns out, Davi had taken a dead butterfly, crushed it, mixed the remains with water, and injected the liquid into his right leg. This act is thought to be part of an online challenge, according to the Daily Mail.
While some Brazilian news sources are also guessing that Davi might have been inspired by an online experiment, it is said that the teen denied this idea before he passed away.
An ongoing investigation
Even though he received expert medical care, Davi’s condition kept getting worse, and doctors couldn’t save him. Sadly, he went through a painful seven-day struggle before he died in February at a hospital in Planalto, Brazil.
Luiz Fernando D. Relvas, a specialist at the hospital, told VivaBem that it could have been an embolism, an infection, or an allergic reaction.
“We don’t know how he made this mixture or the size of the pieces he injected into his body,” he explained.
“There might have been some air trapped inside, which could cause an embolism,” he mentioned, pointing out that this condition can lead to sudden health decline and even death.
There is also an ongoing inquiry into whether toxins from the butterfly might have triggered organ failure and septic shock, which eventually resulted in the boy’s death.
Professor Marcelo Duarte, who is the head of the Zoology Museum at Sao Paulo University and a butterfly expert, explained (through Daily Mail): “Butterflies have a complicated biology, and the fluids in their bodies haven’t been thoroughly examined for their toxicity to humans.”
Another case
The Civil Police in Vitoria da Conquista, who are in charge of the investigation, said that an autopsy will help determine the cause of death.
In a similar case last April, a Brazilian influencer nearly had to have her leg amputated after taking part in a risky viral challenge for her two million followers.
“Thammy MC” was left unable to walk after standing in a bucket filled with ice and salt for an online “dare” that caused her feet to turn black and almost resulted in the amputation of her toes.
