In a career spanning a decade, a journalist often encounters stories that pierce the professional veil of objectivity. Such was the case for Ally Langdon, host of A Current Affair, when she sat down with Paul and Andrea Haynes. Langdon, herself a mother of two, struggled to maintain her composure as the couple recounted the harrowing final days of their 13-year-old daughter, Esra—a life cut short by a lethal social media phenomenon known as “chroming.”
Esra Haynes was the quintessential Australian teenager: a co-captain at the Montrose Football Netball Club, a BMX racer, and a national aerobics champion. Described as “cheeky and talented,” her future was bright until a seemingly routine sleepover on March 31 turned into a parent’s worst nightmare.
The Midnight Call
The routine was familiar; Esra was with friends her parents knew and trusted. “We always knew where she was,” Paul Haynes told Langdon. But the normalcy was shattered by a late-night phone call with a chilling directive: “Come and get your daughter.”
Esra had inhaled a can of aerosol deodorant in pursuit of a fleeting high. The act triggered immediate cardiac arrest. While her friends initially mistook her symptoms for a panic attack, her body was already shutting down. By the time her mother reached her side, paramedics were desperately attempting to revive the 13-year-old. It was in that frantic moment that Andrea first heard the word that would define her grief: chroming.
Eight Days of Hope and a Heartbreaking Decision
For eight days, the Haynes family held a bedside vigil. Esra’s athletic heart and lungs continued to function on life support, fueling a desperate hope for a miracle. However, the biological reality was grim. The lack of oxygen during her cardiac arrest had caused “irreparable” brain damage.
The couple was eventually faced with the most agonizing decision a parent can make: turning off the machines that were keeping their youngest child alive. “It was a very, very difficult thing to do to such a young soul,” Paul recalled through tears. In her final moments, Esra was placed in a bed so her parents could lay with her, cradling her until the very end.
[Table: The Dangers of Chroming]
Physiological Effect Potential Outcome
Cardiac Arrhythmia Immediate cardiac arrest (“Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome”).
Oxygen Deprivation Irreparable brain damage or hypoxic coma.
Central Nervous System Depression Seizures and loss of consciousness.
Organ Toxicity Long-term failure of the liver, kidneys, and lungs.
A Crusade Born of Shattered Lives
Since Esra’s death in April, the Haynes family describes themselves as “broken.” Her siblings—Imogen, Seth, and Charlie—are shattered, and the local community remains in shock. Yet, from this trauma, Paul and Andrea have launched a crusade for awareness.
Chroming involves the inhalation of toxic household chemicals—deodorant, paint, hairspray, or permanent markers—to achieve a short-term high. It is a trend that has claimed lives across Australia and globally since at least 2009, yet many parents remain dangerously unaware of its prevalence on social media.
“If we were educated… we would have had the discussion around our kitchen table for sure,” Paul lamented. He is now calling for a systemic ramp-up in education, urging parents to bypass social media’s influence and provide children with “first-hand” information regarding the fatal risks of inhalants.
A Mother’s Tears
The interview served as a stark reminder of the human cost of digital trends. As the Haynes recounted the “gut-ripping” images of their daughter in the hospital, Langdon was visibly overcome, her own maternal instincts mirroring the grief across from her.
The Haynes’ message to the world is simple yet urgent: Open the conversation gently, but open it now. Education is the only defense against a “high” that costs a life.
