Australian TV host Ally Langdon couldn’t hide her sorrow as she interviewed a couple who had to make the heart-wrenching decision to end the life of their 13-year-old daughter.
Langdon, a mother herself, fought back tears while discussing the tragic fate of the young girl who fell victim to a dangerous trend called chroming.
On “A Current Affair,” Langdon spoke with Andrea and Paul Haynes about their daughter Esra, who died after engaging in the hazardous practice of inhaling chemicals, known as “chroming,” which has gained popularity on social media.
Esra, an active young athlete who loved BMX racing and co-captained her local football and netball team, was described by her peers as “determined, fun, cheeky, and talented.” She even led her team to a national aerobics championship in Queensland.
On March 31, Esra attended a sleepover at a friend’s house. Seeking a dangerous high, she inhaled aerosol deodorant, which led to cardiac arrest and irreversible brain damage.
“It was just the usual routine of hanging out with friends,” Andrea told Langdon. Paul added, “We always knew where she was and who she was with. It was just an ordinary night… Getting that call was every parent’s worst nightmare: ‘Come and get your daughter.’”
Langdon explained that Esra’s friends initially thought she was having a panic attack. In reality, her body was shutting down due to cardiac arrest from inhaling deodorant, and no one at the sleepover knew how to respond.
When Andrea arrived, paramedics were reviving Esra and informed her that her daughter had been chroming—a term she had never heard before.
Rushed to the hospital, the family hoped Esra would recover, believing her strong heart and lungs might pull her through. Unfortunately, her brain damage was too severe. After eight days on life support, Andrea and Paul had to make the agonizing decision to let her go. Struggling to speak through their grief, they recounted the pain of saying goodbye.
The family gathered at the hospital for final farewells. “It was incredibly difficult to say goodbye to such a young soul,” Paul said. “She was placed on a bed so we could lay with her. We held her until the end.”
Langdon, a mother of two, couldn’t hold back her tears as she listened to the heartbreaking story. Paul revealed that since Esra’s passing in early April, their other children—Imogen, Seth, and Charlie—are devastated, and the whole family is shattered.
“It’s been an incredibly tough, traumatic time for us and her friends,” Paul said. “We haven’t been eating or sleeping, we’re not ourselves… And it’s impacted our community too.”
Unaware of chroming until it claimed their daughter’s life, Paul and Andrea are now determined to spread awareness about this lethal trend, which is becoming more prevalent among teens and can be done using common items like deodorant, paint, hairspray, or markers.
Paul expressed regret that they didn’t know about chroming earlier: “If we’d known, we would’ve discussed it at our kitchen table.”
The Hayneses now aim to educate parents so they can protect their children. “Parents need to talk to their kids and gently open up this conversation,” Paul urged. “We didn’t know what was happening.”
Since 2009, chroming has caused numerous deaths among children in Australia and around the world. The practice can lead to organ failure, seizures, heart attacks, suffocation, and sudden death.
Paul shared, “We have images in our minds that will never go away. Our gut was ripped out.”
Our hearts go out to the Haynes family and all who loved Esra. By sharing their story, we can help raise awareness and potentially save lives from this deadly trend.
