Chapter 1: The Contest That Changed Everything

In 2006, the Nintendo Wii gaming console took the market by storm, selling out almost immediately after its release. By January 2007, it was a rare find in stores, leading KDND, a radio station in Sacramento, California, to exploit this demand. They launched a contest promising a Nintendo Wii as the prize, titled “Hold Your Wee for a Wii.”

As part of this bizarre challenge, participants were instructed to drink large quantities of water without urinating. Concerns about the potential health risks were voiced by many, including educated individuals who warned about the dangers of excessive water intake, which could lead to toxicity. However, the station dismissed these warnings, assuring listeners that participants would be signing a waiver to absolve the station of any liability.

On January 12, 2007, eighteen contestants, including 28-year-old Jennifer Strange, a mother of three, signed up for the contest. The rules were simple: each contestant would consume an 8-ounce bottle of water every 15 minutes, with refills provided after each round.

The contest began at 6:45 AM. By 8 AM, after several rounds, many participants started to withdraw. Acknowledging the contest was dragging on longer than anticipated, the station replaced the smaller bottles with larger ones but kept the rules intact. Eventually, most contestants dropped out, leaving only Jennifer and another woman in the running.

Jennifer struggled through the pain, expressing discomfort on-air while the radio hosts trivialized her condition. Despite warnings from a concerned nurse regarding the dangers of water intoxication, the radio hosts brushed off the concern, citing the signed releases.

As the contest progressed, both remaining contestants became increasingly ill, yet they continued to hold off on using the restroom. Eventually, Jennifer could no longer endure it and rushed to the bathroom, only to receive second prize—tickets to a Justin Timberlake concert.

Chapter 2: The Aftermath of Water Intoxication

After the contest, Jennifer experienced severe headaches on her way home and informed a coworker of her condition. Concerned, her coworker alerted Jennifer’s mother, who checked on her hours later, only to find her unresponsive in the bathroom. Jennifer had succumbed to acute water poisoning.

Jennifer had consumed approximately two gallons of water within a three-hour period without urinating. The coroner confirmed that her death was due to water intoxication, known medically as Hyponatremia. This condition occurs when excess water dilutes sodium levels in the body, creating a dangerous imbalance that can lead to severe complications, including brain swelling and respiratory failure.

Despite multiple warnings, the radio station and Jennifer were oblivious to the gravity of the situation. One contestant later revealed that the waiver they signed did not inform them of any health risks associated with the contest.

The first video titled "Meet Jennifer Strange: The Mom Who Died on Live Radio" details the tragic events surrounding the contest and its consequences.

The second video, "The KDND 'Wee for a Wii' Contest | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror," provides an in-depth look at the dangerous contest and its fallout.

Jennifer's family subsequently filed a lawsuit against Entercom Sacramento LLC and its parent company, Entercom Communications Corp. In October 2009, the jury awarded them $16 million in damages, concluding that Jennifer bore no responsibility for her tragic death.

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