SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Maybe she was thirsty?
Video from a religious ceremony in Brandon, South Dakota, has gone viral thanks to a 7-year-old girl who drained the wine she was offered at her first communion.
Brynley Heidebrink’s sip of the communion wine was less of a sip and more of a big gulp — so big, in fact, that the priest had to gently pull the cup from her hands.
“I could see her very well … I just kept thinking, ‘Please stop drinking,'” said Brynley’s mother Stefanie.
Brynley had even practiced for the spiritual event, asking her mother specifically about the wine, Stefanie said.
“We had a retreat that morning to practice and she even asked again right before she went up there and I told her to just let it touch your lips; you don’t even have to take a sip.”
Her daughter later admitted she had no explainable reason for the big drink, other than, “I don’t know (why),'” according to Stephanie, who said Brynley didn’t even like the taste.
In any case, Stefanie was amused by the incident. She thought her family would be amused too, so she shared footage from the ceremony to social media.
“After I posted, I had a lot of friends and family text me saying that they can’t stop watching and laughing,” Stefanie said.
Millions of other TikTok users apparently agreed, as the video has been viewed more than 27 million times on the platform.
Although Stefanie said Brynley is now a TikTok sensation, the 7-year-old is unaware of her viral fame. Mom, however, is happy to leave it that way, and let Brynley focus on her other passions: dance and gymnastics.
“[She’s] always been my little diva, so this is just fitting that she is going viral for something like this,” Stefanie said.
