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Dying for a Thrill
The Fainting Game
By Gina Roberts-Grey
The elusive nature of the game lures kids to Web sites that tout the success of former "players," and to secretive plots away from the watchful eyes of adults. They look for extreme privacy, especially when friends are over, while planning when and where to "play."
A child might seem groggy or unusually tired when coming out of his room with friends. "Some of the warning signs are suspicious marks on the side of the neck, changes in personality or overly aggressive behavior, also, any kind of rope, belt or scarf lying next to a child without a reason why it would be there, headaches and flushed face, bloodshot eyes, raspy voice and a thud or loud noise in a bedroom, indicating someone fell or hit their head," says Soja.
Too many parents aren't aware that this could touch their children. "I had never heard of this," says an honest and heartbroken Loretta Burns of Annandale, Minn. "I wish I had." Losing her son tragically more than 15 years ago, Burns works tirelessly as an advocate to inform and educate parents of the risks associated with the fainting game. "I want parents to understand they can prevent this type of useless tragedy," she says.
Parents who have endured this painful ordeal all loved their children unconditionally and worked to provide nurturing, stable homes. Mental health experts and health care professionals agree that while loving a child is a wonderful and vital aspect of development, communication is the powerful tool necessary in the fight against this and other dangerous risks that children are willing to take.
As a retired high school counselor, Carol Brillante of Chicago Heights, Ill., shares Burns' passion to protect families from this heartbreaking situation. "This is one of a few taboo subjects that many parents aren't comfortable discussing," she says. "Some fear that talking about this plants the seed to experiment, and others don't want to envision their child ever attempting such acts."
