Dubai: Egypt’s judo champion Ahmed Khaled became a quadriplegic after taking part in a serious ‘Tik Tok’ challenge, local and social media reported.
The tragic story began when the 13-year-old student and his schoolmates agreed to try the “Throw your friend” challenge on the Tik Tok app.
The accident occurred in El Obour city in the Qalubiya Governorate, 35km northeast of Cairo, a few days ago.
The dangerous challenge involves a group of friends who gather in a circle around a friend of their choice, throw him into the air, then drop him to the ground to see how strong he is. If he is not hurt, he wins the contest.
Contrary to what the friends hoped for, Ahmed suffered a fractured vertebra and a cut in the spinal cord, which led to paralysis.
Dr. Bishoy Najeeb, the orthopedic doctor supervising Ahmed’s condition, described the incident as one of the worst he has seen.
“A 13-year-old boy who could not move was brought to us in the hospital. We conducted several physical examinations and X-rays that revealed that he was paralysed,” Dr. Najeeb said.
Ahmed suffered from a fracture of his cervical spine and severe pressure on his spinal cord, he added.
Prayers and wishes for Ahmed's swift recovery have poured in on various social media platforms.
Ahmed's school in El Obour city later issued a statement, stressing that the accident happened in front of a shopping mall in the city and not at the school.
The school board and its staff wished Ahmed a speedy recovery and a return to school in full health.
