Australia’s Ally Langdon couldn’t hold back her tears as she spoke with Andrea and Paul Haynes, parents who were forced to make the heart-wrenching decision to end the life of their 13-year-old daughter, Esra. Esra died after falling victim to a dangerous viral trend known as chroming, in which individuals inhale toxic chemicals to get high. As a mother herself, Langdon felt the pain of the Haynes family deeply.
Esra was described as determined, fun, cheeky, and talented. She was a co-captain at the Montrose Football Netball Club and an accomplished athlete who excelled in BMX racing and led her team to a national aerobics championship in Queensland. However, her life took a tragic turn when she attended a sleepover at a friend’s house on March 31.
Unaware of the consequences, Esra decided to try chroming by inhaling aerosol deodorant. As a result, she suffered cardiac arrest and sustained irreparable brain damage. Her mother, Andrea, expressed her shock during the interview with Langdon, saying, “It was just a regular routine of going to hang out with her mates.” Her father, Paul, added, “To get this phone call at that time of night… was one of the calls no parent ever wants to have to receive.”
Even though Esra’s friends initially mistook her symptoms for a panic attack, it became evident that her body was shutting down due to the effects of the deodorant. When Andrea arrived at the scene, paramedics informed her that Esra had been chroming, a term she had never heard before. Despite holding onto hope that their daughter would recover, the Haynes family had to make the heart-wrenching decision to turn off life support after eight days of no signs of improvement.
Esra’s parents vividly recalled their last moments with her. They were given the opportunity to say their final goodbyes as family and friends gathered at the hospital. Paul reflected on the immense difficulty of letting go of such a young soul and described how they laid down beside Esra, holding her until the end. The pain and devastation of losing Esra have left the family completely broken. Her siblings, Imogen, Seth, and Charlie, are also shattered.
The tragedy that struck the Haynes family extends beyond their immediate circle. The entire community has been deeply affected by Esra’s passing. Chroming, a deadly viral craze, has claimed the lives of numerous children not only in Australia but also around the world. It involves the inhalation of toxic substances readily available in common household products like deodorant, paint, hairspray, or permanent markers. This trend provides young people with a quick but potentially lethal high.
In their grief, Esra’s parents have taken on a crusade to raise awareness about chroming and its dangers. They emphasize the importance of education and the need for parents to have open conversations with their children. Paul wishes he had been aware of chroming while Esra was alive, as he believes that discussing the dangers of this trend at the family’s kitchen table could have made a difference. He plans to educate other parents and empower them to educate their children about the risks involved, with the hope of saving lives.
The heartbreaking images of Paul and Andrea describing their pain will forever haunt Langdon and those who watched the interview. Their unconditional love for Esra and the devastating loss they experienced are unimaginable. Our hearts go out to the Haynes family and all those who have lost loved ones to this fatal trend.
Please share this story far and wide to help raise awareness and prevent further tragedies. Together, let’s educate parents and children about the dangers of chroming and save lives.
