Family Says 13-Year-Old Girl Tragically Died After Attempting Dangerous Social Media Trend

A young teenager’s family has spoken publicly about their heartbreak after losing their daughter to a social media trend that has been spreading among kids and teens. They said the tragedy unfolded without warning and has left them struggling to understand how something so dangerous reached her.

Back in March, 13-year-old Tiegan Jarman was discovered unresponsive in her bedroom at the family home in Leicestershire, UK. Her loved ones rushed to help as emergency services arrived within minutes.

Paramedics worked to revive her, but despite their efforts, Tiegan could not be saved. She was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving her family devastated and searching for answers.

According to her parents, Tiegan died after taking part in the social media trend known as “chroming.” They said they had never heard of it before her death and were shocked to learn how widespread and risky it had become.

Medical toxicologist Anthony Pizon MD explained that chroming is simply a modern form of inhalant abuse, describing it as a variation of people inhaling chemicals for a quick high. He said these types of substances can be incredibly harmful because of how fast they impact the brain and body.

He went on to explain: "People have been huffing metallic paints for a long, long time. This is really not new; maybe it's just been rediscovered."

In the months since losing Tiegan, her family has shared memories and spoken about the impact she had on everyone around her. They described her as a fun, loving child whose presence always filled their home.

Her stepdad, Rob Hopkin, said: "We are not too sure if she had [tried chroming] before, as there is no way of tracing it. When it happened she had used at least one can of deodorant."

"She loved her pets - two dogs and a cat, and she loved spending time with her best friend Teigan. They would often spend weekends at each other's houses."

Tiegan was just 13 years old when she died in March Leicestershire Live/BPM MEDIA

"She used to enjoy winding her siblings up, especially Alisha, and she had a laugh that was so infectious and would light up a room. Once you met her, you could never forget her and she wanted to follow in her mum Sonia's footsteps and work at the hospital or be an actress."

"Tiegan also loved watching the sunset in the evening. It has been devastating for the whole family, and our lives will never be the same again."

Her father, Paul Jarman, added: "She was the most loving, daring girl ever. She was warm, she was funny, she was quirky. She had a great laugh - and she made me laugh."

"My life was twisted upside down when she died, and I have to keep strong and carry on. She used to always call me Pookie. It's just the funny little stuff."

Her family now hopes to raise awareness about online trends that put young people at risk. They said they want other parents to understand how quickly things can happen and how important it is to talk with kids about what they see online.

Rob said: "It's hard to feel angry in a strange way because it's not one individual that has caused this."

Tiegan's family wants to raise awareness about the dangers of chroming Leicestershire Live/BPM MEDIA

"We believe that the social media sites should be better at controlling what's shown on their sites. They seem to be able to control certain things like pornography, but do not seem that bothered about the trends that can kill instantly."

Tiegan was one of eight siblings and step-siblings, and her sister Alisha has launched a petition calling for schools to teach students about the dangers of inhalant misuse and harmful online challenges. She said the petition is meant to help protect other families from going through the same pain.

The petition on Change.org, titled “Enforce warnings on solvent products and educate on risks,” also calls for clearer labeling on everyday products that could be misused and cause serious harm.

You can sign the petition here.