Esra Haynes was a 13-year-old student with an ambitious future. The Lilydale High School student from Melbourne’s outer east became a statistic when she passed away after inhaling chemicals from a deodorant can.
Her parents, Paul and Andrea, had no idea this would be their daughter’s fate until paramedics arrived and revealed Esra had been experimenting with a dangerous activity known as chroming. It is a new craze that has swept across social media platforms where you inhale fumes from aerosol cans for a quick high.
Despite the best efforts of the paramedics, the damage was done. Esra experienced cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital. Her brain endured irreversible damage, and her parents were forced to make the painful decision to withdraw her life support a week after the incident.
Esra isn’t the only teen in Australia to lose her life to chroming, prompting Coles and Woolworths to lock up their deodorant supplies in 2021 and alarming the Victorian Education Department into providing information to school children about the deadly practice.
Paul and Andrea Haynes are determined to do something to help other families avoid their heartbreak. Alongside promoting awareness and speaking out about the dangers of chroming, they’re advocating for several safety measures, from chemical reform in deodorant cans to better social media safeguards. The couple also wants to ensure every Australian schoolchild is taught what to do in a first-aid emergency.
Through their sorrow, the Haynes have put their energy into serving as a voice for Esra. Referencing the literal meaning of her name, Mr. Haynes explains to the outlet: “Her name meant helper, so that’s what we’re here to do.”