Over 20 Kids Hospitalized in Bucharest Due to TikTok Challenge

Over 20 patients arrived at the Grigore Alexandrescu Hospital in Bucharest in a single day with fractures and serious traumas following a TikTok challenge called the “Superman Challenge,” the manager of the medical unit, Alexandru Ulici, told mass media, adding that two of them needed surgery. The children threw themselves forward, imitating Superman, and hit the floor, causing serious injuries. Alexandru Ulici is sounding the alarm and says that parents must explain to their children how dangerous this challenge is. Ulici said on Tuesday that patients with fractures following this TikTok challenge have started to appear since Friday.

“Since Friday, patients with fractures have started to appear following a so-called challenge on TikTok, called the Superman Challenge. If initially the phenomenon seemed harmless, the number of patients has progressively increased so that yesterday alone we had 20 patients with fractures and major traumas on duty. Of these patients, two are in surgery today, needing surgery for a humerus fracture and a forearm fracture. We are sounding the alarm because it seems to be a worrying phenomenon, dangerous for children and they can cause severe injuries and miss both their classes and their vacation,” said Alexandru Ulici.

He explained what this challenge consists of. “They throw themselves forward, saying they are Superman and the others let them fall, hitting other objects, the floor,” added the manager of Grigore Alexandrescu Hospital.

He also specified how serious the cases that will be operated on are. “They are fractures, it is dangerous enough,” the manager of the medical unit also explained.

When asked how long it takes to fix these fractures, Alexandru Ulici replied: “It depends on each fracture, but at least until it is completely healed, a month or two.”

The manager of the medical unit also stated that parents “must explain to their children that it is not the rule to participate in such challenges.” In recent days, images have appeared on TikTok in which teenagers throw themselves with their hands outstretched in the air, like Superman, and instead of being caught by their friends, they are left to fall, thus causing serious injuries.