The devastated parents of 13-year-old Esra Haynes, who tragically passed away after participating in a dangerous chroming trend, have spoken out in an emotional plea, hoping to prevent other families from enduring the same pain.
Esra, a young teenager from Melbourne, Australia, was attending a sleepover with friends in March 2023 when the heartbreaking incident occurred. Her parents, Andrea and Paul, recounted to A Current Affair that it seemed like a regular evening, with their daughter simply spending time with her friends. “We always knew where she was and who she was with. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary,” Paul shared.
However, that ordinary evening turned into an unimaginable nightmare. Later that night, Andrea and Paul received a distressing phone call asking them to come and collect their daughter. Upon arrival, they discovered Esra in a critical, unresponsive state. Emergency services rushed her to the hospital, where she was immediately placed on life support. For a grueling week and a half, Esra’s family clung to hope, praying for her recovery. Initially, there was optimism, but those hopes were crushed when doctors delivered the devastating news that Esra’s brain had suffered irreparable damage.
Faced with an unimaginable decision, Andrea and Paul were asked to gather family and friends to bid farewell to their beloved daughter. Paul described the emotional turmoil: “Being told to bring people to say goodbye to our 13-year-old child was an experience no parent should ever endure. It was incredibly painful to watch someone so young be taken from us.”
Esra’s family, including her siblings, surrounded her in her final moments, holding and comforting her until the end. The profound loss has left a void in their lives, but they have found strength in their determination to raise awareness about the dangers of chroming.
The Haynes family has since made it their mission to educate others about this perilous trend. Paul emphasized, “This will undoubtedly become our lifelong mission. You can guide a person to the right choices, but sometimes influences can pull them away. This wasn’t something Esra would have done on her own.” Esra’s sister, Imogen, added, “We are determined to raise awareness, especially among young people, so no other family has to experience what we have gone through.”
Esra’s brother, Seth, echoed these sentiments: “It can happen so quickly. We don’t want to lose more incredible people. Please, let this be a warning to others.”
The medical cause of Esra’s death was confirmed to be chroming, a form of solvent abuse involving the inhalation of toxic chemicals for a brief euphoric high. Also referred to as solvent sniffing, it involves inhaling fumes from household substances such as glue, paint thinner, or deodorant sprays, as described by Care In Mind. Though individuals of all ages have engaged in this risky behavior, it is alarmingly most prevalent among teenagers and young adults.
The immediate effects of chroming can be distressing and dangerous, including extreme fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and confusion. Additional symptoms include loss of coordination, slurred speech, disorientation, red or watery eyes, coughing fits, nosebleeds, and even hallucinations. Tragically, as in Esra’s case, it can also result in fatal brain damage and sudden death.
The Haynes family urges all parents and guardians to have open conversations with their children about the dangers of chroming and substance abuse. Their painful loss stands as a stark reminder of how critical awareness and prevention can be in protecting young lives.