A California family wants to warn others after their 13-year-old son died from participating in the viral “Blackout Challenge.” Nnamdi Ohaeri Jr., known lovingly as Deuce, was the eldest of four boys and loved to play sports and spend time with family. His father, Nnamdi Ohaeri Sr., said February 2 was just like any other Sunday. He never realized it was the last time he’d see his son alive.
The grieving father told KTLA his son had a great night before the tragedy. “We came home, they showered, we were watching the Grammys, he was excited that Kendrick Lamar was sweeping all the categories,” he recalled.
The following morning, the family found Deuce unresponsive in his bedroom. His mother began CPR, but they could not revive him. At first, his parents believed their son took his own life. They later learned he didn’t die by suicide but in a terrifying accident.
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“I heard something where this young person tried to make themselves pass out, and I guess they came back from it,” Ohaeri said.
The family believes Deuce attempted some type of blackout challenge but never woke up. Ohaeri said he feels so much guilt about his son’s death and not saving him. “I’m going through the Rolodex of guilt now like, ‘Did we check in more? Should I have not been as firm four years ago?'” he said, per KTLA.
The father added he was “mindful of influences and talking about, ‘Don’t do drugs and make good decisions,'” to his children. “But we don’t talk about not following social media trends or playing social media games, and maybe we need to.”
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Jessica Anderson created a GoFundMe account for Deuce’s family. It has raised more than $75,000 of its $100,000 goal thus far.
Anderson wrote on the fundraiser:
“We want to honor the treasure that was the beloved Nnamdi Glenn Ohaeri Jr, ‘Deuce’. A vibrant, kind, loving, beautiful young man, a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a friend, a teammate, a bandmate, a leader, an athlete, who had a passion and incredible talent for football who meant so much to so many, and will be so very deeply missed.”
Donors are sharing their condolences.
“I wish I had the words to take away this pain, to ease even a fraction of the weight you carry. I know it must be unimaginable. Deuce was a gift to all and in your home, he was your light that shined bright. His impact will never fade,” one donor wrote. “The pain must be unbearable, but I want you to know that when you can’t find faith, I will stand for you. When you can’t pray, I will pray for you. I love you all so much. I pray God’s comfort can somehow break through this incredible loss. My love to you!”
Another shared, “We can’t find the words to convey how sorry we are for your loss. We are holding your family in our hearts and lifting you in prayer.”
“We don’t know how this works or how long to keep up a GoFundMe, but we know we’ll need some time to adjust to this abnormal situation,” Ohaeri shared in an update. “We’re going to take a sabbatical from work to pour into the kids and recalibrate our new Way Forward.”
