Ally Langdon, a well-known Australian journalist and mother herself, struggled to hold back her emotions as she sat down with two grieving parents who were forced to make the most heartbreaking decision imaginable—turning off the life support of their 13-year-old daughter. Andrea and Paul Haynes shared their devastating story on A Current Affair, shedding light on the tragic loss of their daughter, Esra Haynes. Esra had fallen victim to a dangerous social media trend known as “chroming,” a practice where people inhale toxic chemicals through the mouth or nose in an attempt to get high. For Esra, it was a fatal decision made during an innocent sleepover at a friend’s house. The couple’s story has since sparked a powerful conversation across Australia about the dangers of this deadly trend.

Esra Haynes was a vibrant and active young girl, known for her boundless energy and determination. She was a talented athlete who co-captained her local Montrose Football Netball Club team, raced BMX bikes alongside her brothers, and even led her aerobics team to a national championship in Queensland. She was fun-loving, spirited, and full of potential. On March 31, Esra was spending the night at a friend’s house. Her parents, Andrea and Paul, thought nothing of it. As far as they knew, she was safe, spending time with friends in a familiar setting. They had always made a point of knowing where Esra was and who she was with. That night seemed no different—until they received the phone call that changed their lives forever. “Come and get your daughter,” they were told, the words no parent ever wants to hear.

Esra’s friends initially thought she was having a panic attack, but the truth was far worse. After inhaling aerosol deodorant, Esra went into cardiac arrest. Her body shut down, and by the time paramedics arrived, it was clear something was terribly wrong. Andrea rushed to be by her daughter’s side, where she learned for the first time what chroming was. She had never even heard the term before, and now it was the explanation for why her daughter was lying unresponsive, her life hanging in the balance.

Esra was rushed to the hospital, where her family clung to the hope that she might recover. After all, her heart and lungs were still strong. For eight agonizing days, they sat by her bedside, praying for a miracle that would never come. Eventually, doctors told Paul and Andrea that Esra’s brain damage was irreversible. With heavy hearts, they made the impossible decision to turn off her life support. “It was a very, very difficult thing to do to such a young soul,” Paul shared through tears. “We cuddled her until the end.” The hospital room was filled with friends and family who came to say their final goodbyes. Ally Langdon, herself a mother of two, could barely contain her tears as she listened to their story.

In the aftermath of Esra’s death, her family has been left shattered. Paul described their home as broken, their hearts heavy with grief, and Esra’s siblings—Imogen, Seth, and Charlie—devastated by the loss of their sister. The pain has rippled through their community as well, affecting Esra’s friends and teammates. Paul and Andrea are now determined to raise awareness about the dangers of chroming, a trend they had never heard of until it killed their daughter. They want to prevent other families from suffering the same heartbreak. “If we were educated and the word had been put out there, we would have had the discussion around our kitchen table,” Paul said. “We need to ramp it up and let these kids find out the information first-hand, and not through friends, and not through social media—then they’re given the right advice off the bat.”

Chroming, which involves inhaling chemicals from common household products like deodorant, paint, hairspray, and markers, can lead to seizures, heart attacks, suffocation, coma, and even sudden death. Despite these dangers, it continues to gain popularity among teenagers looking for a quick high. Paul and Andrea believe it’s vital for parents to have open conversations with their children about these risks, even if it’s an uncomfortable topic. “Parents need to sit and have a chat to their children, and just open that conversation up gently with them,” Paul urged. “We certainly didn’t know what was going on.”

Since 2009, chroming has been responsible for multiple deaths across Australia and around the world. Esra’s tragic passing has reignited the call for greater education and awareness to stop this dangerous trend. “We’ve got the pictures in our mind which will never be erased,” Paul said. “Our gut was ripped out.” The Haynes family’s pain is unimaginable, but they are using their grief as a force for change. They hope their story will inspire other families to talk, to learn, and to protect their children from making a fatal mistake. Share Esra’s story to spread awareness and help other parents save their children’s lives.