A teenager who died after a spicy tortilla chip challenge was killed by consuming too much chili pepper extract and had a congenital heart defect.
Harris Wolobah, who was in the tenth grade, died at the beginning of the school year after eating Paqui’s chip, who later removed the product from the shelves.
A note from the city of Worcester’s chief medical examiner’s office lists Wolobah’s cause of death as cardiac arrest (i.e., heart attack) “in the context of recent ingestion of foods with a high concentration of capsaicin.”
Capsaicin gives chili peppers their often extreme heat.
Harris Wolobah, 14, died hours after eating a spicy tortilla chip as part of the “One Chip Challenge,” a social media trend that has garnered billions of views on TikTok. The Massachusetts teen was a talented athlete who was described by family as ‘a light that lit up the room’
The 2023 edition of the ‘One Chip Challenges’ features a tortilla chip flavored with two of the spiciest peppers possible: the California Reaper Pepper and the Naga Viper Pepper. The California Reaper is ranked as the world’s spiciest pepper
The autopsy also said the teen had cardiomegaly – an enlarged heart – and a congenital defect described as “myocardial bypassing of the left anterior descending coronary artery.”
The defect is described as an artery that runs through the heart muscle instead of lying on the surface of the heart.
Paqui, owned by the Hershey Company, pulled the chips from stores after Wolobah’s untimely death, but previously sold them for about $10 each.
The black Reaper pepper chip was foil-wrapped in a coffin-shaped box that contained a warning about the severity of the chip’s “heat and pain.”
Despite the warning that the chip was not for children, youth consumers had no problem getting their hands on the product.
Other teens across the country also reportedly became ill after consuming the chip, including three California teens who were taken to a hospital.
The black chip of death was sprinkled with Carolina Reaper pepper and Naga Viper pepper and became part of the ‘One Chip Challenge’, which went viral on social media.
The challenge, which many young participants recorded themselves as they posted the videos online, involves eating the unique Paqui chip and then continuing for as long as possible before eating or drinking anything afterwards.
Internet social media personalities attempted the challenge, but others criticized the trend for its obvious negative health consequences.
Lois Wobolah, Harris’ mother, shared a photo of her late son. She says she hopes no other family feels the pain of the loss she experienced
Paqui has been promoting the one chip challenge since 2016
Paqui, the manufacturer of the chip, encouraged people to explore their physical limits. Those who can endure the searing pain for up to an hour without eating or drinking earn the title ‘Apex Predator’
The brand, now owned by the Hershey Company, placed an extensive warning on the coffin-shaped packaging
Before his death, Harris (center right) was a young and vital basketball player
onathan Slavinskas, left, prays with Harris Wolobah’s family, including mother Lois and father Amos Wolobah, right, during a vigil at Newton Square Friday, September 8, 2023 in Worcester, Mass
On September 1 last year, the boy’s mother was called to his school when Harris complained of stomach pains. He had eaten the spicy chip after it was given to him by a classmate.
The young teen felt better after returning home, but he fainted at 4:30 PM as he was about to leave for basketball practice.
In conversation with the Worcester telegramPolice Lt. Sean Murtha said the boy was unresponsive and not breathing. He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.
Harris’ mother, Lois Wolobah, told a local television station last year that her son had been a healthy basketball player with no known allergies before his death.
“I hope and pray to God that no parent will go through what I’m going through,” she said.
“I don’t want anyone to hurt like I hurt. I miss my son so much. I miss him so much.’
In October 2022, a school district in Lafayette, Louisiana, became forbidden the chips from all campuses after several students needed medical attention.
Less than a month later, the paramedics arrived called to a high school in Dunwood, Georgia, prompting police to issue a warning about the snack.