Australian news anchor, Ally Langdon, couldn’t hide her anguish as she spoke with the devastated parents of a young girl who tragically lost her life due to the dangerous trend of chroming. As a mother herself, Langdon felt the pain of the parents who were forced to make the heartbreaking decision to end their daughter’s life.
Esra Haynes, a bright and talented 13-year-old, was an athlete who loved racing BMX bikes and co-captained her local Football Netball Club. Described as determined, fun, and cheeky, she also led her team to a national aerobics championship. But everything changed on that fateful day.
On March 31, Esra went for a sleepover at a friend’s house, seeking a deadly high by sniffing an aerosol deodorant can. Tragically, this led to cardiac arrest and permanent brain damage. Esra’s parents, Andrea and Paul Haynes, spoke with Langdon on A Current Affair about their daughter’s untimely death.
“It was just a regular hangout with her friends,” Andrea tearfully explained. “We always knew where she was and who she was with. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary… To receive that call in the middle of the night, it was one of the calls no parent ever wants to get: ‘Come and get your daughter.’”
Esra’s friends initially thought she was having a panic attack, unaware of the severity of the situation. Langdon explained, “But after inhaling the deodorant, her body started shutting down. She was in cardiac arrest, and no one at the sleepover recognized it.”
When Andrea arrived, Esra was being revived, and it was then that the paramedics informed her of the dangerous practice called chroming. This was the first time she had ever heard of it. They rushed Esra to the hospital, holding onto hope that their daughter, with her strong heart and lungs, would make a full recovery. Sadly, this was not the case.
After eight agonizing days on life support, the devastating news came that Esra’s brain was irreparably damaged. Andrea and Paul had to make the heartbreaking decision to turn off the machines keeping their daughter alive. The pain and grief they experienced while recounting this moment was palpable.
Esra’s father, Paul, shared the difficulty of saying their final goodbyes at the hospital. “It was a very, very difficult thing to do to such a young soul. We laid with her and cuddled her until the end.”
As Langdon listened to the Haynes family’s heart-wrenching story, she, too, couldn’t fight back her tears for the unbearable grief they endured.
After Esra’s passing in early April, the family is left utterly broken. Esra’s siblings, Imogen, Seth, and Charlie, are shattered by the loss of their beloved sister. The impact of Esra’s tragedy has extended beyond their family, deeply affecting the entire community.
Paul and Andrea, who had never heard of chroming before their daughter’s death, are now determined to raise awareness about this deadly trend that is gaining popularity among teenagers. Easily accessible materials like deodorant, paint, hairspray, and even permanent markers are used to achieve a quick high. This viral trend can result in organ failure, seizures, heart attacks, suffocation, and even sudden death.
Paul expressed regret for not being aware of chroming earlier, saying, “If we were educated about it, we would have had the discussion around our kitchen table.”
He urged parents to have open conversations with their children, providing them with firsthand information instead of relying on friends or social media. Education and early intervention can save lives.
Since 2009, numerous children in Australia and around the world have lost their lives due to the devastating consequences of chroming. It is a tragedy that no family should ever have to endure.
As we try to comprehend the unimaginable pain that comes with making the decision to remove a child from life support, our thoughts and prayers go out to Esra’s surviving family members and the Haynes family.
Please share this story with everyone you know and help parents protect their children by educating them about the dangers of chroming.
