An eight-year old girl who dreamed of being a doctor has died in Brazil after participating in a dangerous social media trend.
Sarah de Castro went into cardiac arrest after she took up a challenge on Kwai, a Chinese-owned app similar to TikTok, and inhaled fumes from an Old Spice aerosol deodorant last Thursday.
De Castro was rushed to Ceilândia Regional Hospital in the midwestern town of Ceilândia.
She was brought back to life about an hour after her heart stopped beating but later died.
De Castro was declared dead Sunday and her family filed a report with the Federal District Civil Police
‘God invited our little angel to spread her wings and fly to heaven,’ her family said in a statement. ‘There she will be at peace and always watching over us.’
De Castro was with her grandfather at home when she took on the daring challenge and hid the deodorant can under a couch cushion.
Federal District Civil Police investigators launched an investigation to determine who posted the challenge on the popular social media app.
The suspect could face double-qualified homicide – a charge that includes causing common danger and involving a victim who is under the age of 14 – and a prison sentence of up to 30 years.
‘The autopsy report will tell us the cause of death,’ Federal District Civil Police chief Walber Lima said.
‘The child’s cell phone was seized, and the expert report will take about 30 days to be ready. As soon as we have this technical evidence, we will be able to move forward with the investigation.’
Kelly Luane, De Castro’s aunt told reporters outside the funeral that the young girl saw a video of the challenge on Kwai. Unconfirmed previous reports suggested she may have become aware of it from Tiktok.
Cássio Maurilio, De Castro’s father, told the press that Kwai and Old Spice were responsible for the girl’s death and that he would be filing a lawsuit in court against both companies.
‘The platform does not create mechanisms to prevent dangerous content from being published [on the app],’ Maurilio said. ‘The deodorant company, in turn, does not mention the risk of death if the product is inhaled.
‘All material that poses an imminent risk of death must have [this] written on it. It must have an image on the packaging,’ Maurilio added. ‘The antiperspirants I looked at do not mention the risk. They explain that if there is or is any skin lesion, you should stop using it and seek medical attention.’
The distraught parent revealed on social media the Old Spice can that de Castro used to perform the challenge and urged parents be extra cautious.
“The packaging does not have any prominent warnings about health risks or death,” Maurilio said. “I tell you, be careful with your children. This internet challenge left [Sarah] in this situation. This company will be sued. The have to pay.”
DailyMail.com has reached out to Kwai, TikTok and Proctor & Gamble for comment.
Brazilian pediatrician Dr Paulo Telles told CNN Brasil that inhaling gases from aerosol cans can lead to serious health problems and death.
‘For example, you have alcohol, which can be an irritant to the respiratory tract and cause bronchospasm, as if it were an asthma attack, closing the bronchi and can lead to a decrease in oxygen and cardiac arrest,’ Dr Telles explained.
‘This challenge circulating on social media is extremely dangerous,’ the pediatrician added.
De Castro’s death comes exactly one month after 11-year-old Brenda Santana died after participating in the same crazed challenge.
Santana was found unresponsive March 13 at her home in Bom Jardim, a city in the northeaster Brazilian state of Pernambuco.
Santana was taken to a local hospital where she died after going into cardiac arrest.
Her parents told Brazilian news outlet G1 that he and his wife had previously warned her not to inhale deodorant spray.
The girl’s father said he had no idea how his daughter learned of the trend on social media since she did not own a cellphone, according to Brazilian reporter Adielson Galvão.
In August 2022 10-year-old João Mapa was found dead inside his home in the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte after inhaling from an aerosol deodorant can while playing with his siblings.
At least 56 children between the aged 7 to 8 died in Brazil between 2014 and 2025 after participating in social media challenges, according to the DimiCuida Institute.