Esra Haynes, described by the Montrose Football Netball Club she co-captained as “determined, fun, cheeky, and talented,” tragically lost her life after getting involved in a dangerous viral trend called chroming, which involves inhaling toxic chemicals to get high.
An active and healthy teenager, Esra excelled in BMX racing alongside her brothers and led her team to a national aerobics championship in Queensland. But on March 31, during a routine sleepover at a friend’s house, a single poor decision changed everything.
Wanting to try the viral challenge, Esra inhaled a toxic amount of aerosol deodorant, which caused her to go into cardiac arrest and suffer irreversible brain damage. Her devastated parents shared their heartbreak on A Current Affair with host Ally Langdon, warning other families about the deadly risks of inhaling toxic substances.
“It was just a normal night hanging out with her friends,” her mother Andrea explained. Her father, Paul, added, “We always knew where she was and who she was with. It wasn’t unusual… but then we got that call no parent ever wants: ‘Come and get your daughter.’”
At first, Esra’s friends didn’t realize how serious the situation was, thinking she was having a panic attack. But in reality, her body was shutting down from inhaling the chemicals. Paramedics told Andrea, for the first time, that her daughter had been chroming.
Esra was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support, but just eight hours later, her parents were informed that her brain damage was irreversible. With nothing left to be done, Andrea and Paul gathered family to say their final goodbyes. “It was unbelievably difficult to let go of such a young soul. We held her until the end,” Andrea said.
Esra’s siblings, Imogen, Seth, and Charlie, have been devastated by her loss. Paul described the toll on their family and community: “It’s been the most traumatic time imaginable. We haven’t been sleeping, barely eating, and haven’t smiled. It affects everyone, not just us.”
In the wake of their daughter’s death, Andrea and Paul are determined to raise awareness about chroming. Speaking to 7 News, Paul said, “If we’d known about chroming, we would have warned her. Kids need to hear the dangers firsthand—not from friends or social media—so they can make safe choices.”
Esra is not the first victim of chroming. The practice has claimed numerous young lives, leading to seizures, heart attacks, suffocation, coma, and organ failure.
Paul added, “We’ll never erase the images of what we faced. Our gut was ripped out.”
The family hopes sharing their story will prevent others from experiencing similar heartbreak.
Leave a Reply